


Red, White & Ocean Blue

by bibliosoph



Series: Red, White & Ocean Blue [1]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Little Mermaid AU, M/M, True Love's Kiss, alex is pure chaotic energy, firstprince, henry is a soft boi, henry is mute, queen mary is a dick, richards is a dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bibliosoph/pseuds/bibliosoph
Summary: The Little Mermaidfic you never asked for!Henry is the prince of Britlantis but hates his life. His grandmother rules with an iron fist and has banned all human objects from the kingdom, but Henry doesn't let that stop his quest to find out more about the world above. He's always been supernaturally drawn to human objects, but he never thought he'd be drawn to an actualhuman. He trades his voice for the chance at true love, but everything comes with a price.
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, June Claremont-Diaz/Nora Holleran/Percy "Pez" Okonjo
Series: Red, White & Ocean Blue [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726645
Comments: 169
Kudos: 141





	1. The Wreck

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all are okay. I know these are hard and stressful times, so I'm going to try and maintain a fairly consistent updating schedule so we can all have at least some sense of normalcy amidst all of this madness. I'm always here if you need love and/or support. <3

These parts of the water are darker and gloomier than the rest. No soul ever ventures to such depths because sharks are known to swim around here, but Henry’s feeling rather brave today. It’s taken careful weeks of study and observation to finally pinpoint this wreck and he knows that it will all be worth it once he can get inside. It’s an older wreck, but it’s supposed to be a massive one. There’s a chance that whatever objects were once inside will be rusted and decayed beyond use now, but Henry has hope. It’s so rare for him to find a new wreck these days since he’s explored most of them and the other have already been emptied by his grandmother, the Queen, in her never-ending persecution of all things human. So, when even the smallest chance of finding new human objects to add to his collection comes around, Henry will always take it without hesitation. Even if that means that he has to carefully maneuver his way through and out of the castle and past the guards told to keep him inside the citadel. As it happens, his only clear shot at getting to the wreck means missing the Queen’s Jubilee––something to celebrate her reign of “prosperity.”

Pez and David have come along for the adventure, too.

“Come on, Pez!” Henry calls, already setting his sight on the wreck. David takes his place right off of Henry’s right shoulder, his little fins flapping urgently to keep him from swimming down too far.

God, the wreck is _glorious_. Big and old and full of broken boards that will make it easy for him to find a safe entry point. There might be sharks lurking somewhere in the shadows, but that’s not an issue. Henry is prepared to brave some sharks if it means he can get his hands on a new artifact. He desperately hopes it’s a book, even if the state of the wreck means that it’ll be an old, decrepit one.

Pez swims up and joins Henry against the old mast that’s fallen a few hundred yards away from the wreck itself.

“Looks like a good one,” Pez says, his smile bright. Henry nods absent-mindedly, too preoccupied with staring at the wreck. He wishes that he was a half-decent artist so he could draw the wreck––have a memory to hold onto. He supposes he could ask Pez since there’s nothing that Pez can’t do, but he already feels guilty enough for asking Pez to break the rules to come on these adventures with him.

Henry juts his chin out, grips the satchel that’s slung over his shoulder, and turns to face Pez. “You ready?”

Pez nods eagerly. “I was _born_ ready.”

Henry smiles and rolls his eyes. He starts to swim towards the wreck, knowing that Pez is right at his fins, but stops abruptly when he realizes that he forgot to let Pez know one crucial detail. “There might be sharks,” Henry tells him.

Pez pales instantly. “S––sharks?”

Pez isn’t afraid of much, but he _is_ terrified of sharks. Henry supposes that makes sense, especially considering his cousin was eaten by one.

Pez looks like he might reconsider this whole thing, but he takes a deep breath and plants a fake, tight smile on his face. “Sharks,” he says with a nod. “Right. Lead the way.”

Henry flashes him a nervous and apologetic smile and continues the trek to the wreck, careful to stay up towards the lighter parts of the water for Pez’s sake. David, however, has no qualms about the sharks or what dangers might lurk within the dark, wooden walls. His small fins flap quickly to keep up with Henry’s speed––which isn’t really that fast, but David is a small, honeycomb cowfish with tiny fins and a large body––as he eagerly approaches the massive ship.

A part of Henry knows that he really shouldn’t be doing this, but he can’t ignore the lure of the human world forever. He tries to keep himself satisfied by limiting these expeditions to once every month or so, but sometimes he just gets desperate for more. His collection is vast and every-growing but he feels like, no matter what, he’ll never truly understand how humans work. The things they create are so magnificent and wonderful and Henry wants to know all there is to know about them. He’s especially interested in their books and poems because the merpeople’s work isn’t nearly as good. It doesn’t help that the Queen censors all writing––nothing gay or human-related is allowed to be published. Henry really is the family disappointment by that standard, being both gay and obsessed with humans.

Henry swims in easily through a crack in the boards. Pez and David follow him through and suddenly they’re inside. He can tell that it was once gorgeous––there’s an old, broken piano in the corner and some sort of half-shiny collection of glass hanging from what’s left of the ceiling. He ventures further into the wreck, scanning each area for signs of any usable pieces to collect, when a scream erupts from behind him. He turns to see Pez swimming away from what looks like a pile of bones, his bright pink tail jerking violently to get him away as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, in his fright, Pez doesn’t look ahead and ends up ramming into Henry at full speed. Henry flips backward a bit but quickly regains his composure and ensures that his satchel is still slung around his shoulder.

“You okay?” Henry chuckles.

Pez nods, eyes wide and horrified. “Y––yeah. Sorry. Wasn’t expecting to see bones here.”

Henry rolls his eyes. “It’s a _wreck_ , Pez. Humans probably died here as the ship went down.” He makes sure that David is okay before he starts off again, desperate to get his hands on some sort of trinket. He’d hate for this all to have been a massive waste of time.

Suddenly, he spots something. It’s just beyond a half-fallen archway and it shimmers in the soft lighting. He gasps and swims over to it, taking the precious object in his hands. It’s small but beautiful with four small prongs that have pointy ends. The handle is smooth in his hand and when he touches it, the dirt and muck fall away to reveal a silver, glinting surface. He holds it up to Pez triumphantly.

“Have you ever seen anything so wonderful in your entire _life_?” he asks him, holding the object out so Pez can admire it. “ _Wow_.”

Pez studies it for a moment and grins. “It’s _fantastic_ , darling.”

Henry grins and nods eagerly before sliding the strange object into his satchel for safekeeping. “I wonder what they use it for.”

Pez shrugs. “Who knows. Humans are very strange.”

“Wonderfully so,” Henry adds, always feeling defensive about humans.

They start to carefully make their way out of the wreck when Henry spots another object. He gasps and rushes over to it, leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake. He picks up the object, a small brown thing, and holds it up to the light. It’s rare to find two unknown objects in one trip, so he’s pleasantly surprised. “What do you think this is for?” he asks, turning it over in his hands. It seems to have some sort of hole to put things in, but the hole is so small that he can’t imagine what possible use it could have for holding things.

Pez freezes and raises an eyebrow at him. “Did you hear something?”

Henry waves a hand dismissively, too caught up in the object to really play into Pez’s ridiculous fear of sharks. “Pez, will you relax? Everything is _fine_. A shark isn’t going to eat you, all right?”

As soon as he says that, something crashes through the dusty window of the ship. Henry turns to see a massive shark barreling through the glass, seemingly unfazed by the pieces of glass that slice through its skin. Pez yelps and frantically swims away from the shark. Henry quickly follows him, making sure to stick the other object in his satchel, too. He grabs David, cupping him between his hands, and tears off after Pez who is already making a beeline towards the nearest exit. They swim up towards the top of the ship, almost out of the wreck, when the shark tears through the boards in front of them. Henry grabs Pez’s wrist and spins him around the other way, away from the shark, and they take off. The shark is close at their fins, tearing up the floorboards as it follows them.

Henry feels a tug at his shoulder but keeps swimming before he realizes that his satchel is missing. He turns and scans the area for it, finding it caught on a loose board. He quickly swims back, grabs it, and continues to follow Pez as he screams and swims frantically towards the nearest hole in the side of the ship. They make it out in the knick of time and get a few seconds lead as the shark struggles to break through the side of the ship. He notices that David has slipped out from his hands so he quickly looks around and sees him drifting down to the sand. He looks back at the shark, who is still quite a ways away, and decides that he’ll risk it. He dashes down to David, sliding through the hole in the top of an anchor to catch him. The shark has turned its sights away from Pez and on him now, so it’s coming right towards him. He quickly ducks back out of the anchor and the shark’s body catches halfway through the hole. It struggles to wiggle himself out for a few seconds before it realizes that it’s stuck.

Henry dashes back up to Pez and the two swim back towards Britlantis, chuckling about their near-death experience now that it’s firmly behind them.

As soon as they reach the citadel, Shaan is waiting for them with his arms crossed and an unpleasant look on his face. Henry hangs his head, knowing that he’s done for. As much as Shaan likes him, and disagrees with how the Queen runs things, he knows better than to try and disobey her orders.

“How much trouble am I in?” Henry asks once Pez makes a swift exit, not wanting to face the wrath of the Queen.

Shaan sighs and leads him through the citadel and up to the castle. “The Queen is quite cross,” he says.

Henry sighs and wordlessly follows Shaan through long corridors and to the throne room, not eager to face whatever storm is brewing inside. Shaan nods to the guards standing by the double doors who open the doors for Henry. Shaan stays outside and shoots him a sympathetic look before Henry makes his way into the large, decadent throne room to deal with the Queen.

Unfortunately, it’s not just the Queen he’ll have to deal with, apparently. His brother, Phillip, is hovering by her side. Henry nearly rolls his eyes at the sight of it but manages to compose himself at the last minute. He straightens his spine, lifts his head, and bravely swims over to them. The Queen is seated on her golden throne and already has a murderous look in her eyes before Henry even bows before her.

He knows better than to offer any sort of greeting. He presses his lips into a thin line and waits for the Queen to speak. Instead, though, Phillip does.

“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to celebrate the Queen, your _grandmother_ , without you present to support her?” he begins, his voice like thunder.

Henry chews his lip nervously and shakes his head.

Phillip rolls his eyes. “Of course you don’t. You never know, do you?” He puts a hand on the Queen’s shoulder. She sighs and pats his hand dramatically like his physical support is helping to mend her “broken heart” over Henry’s absence from the festivities. Henry knows, despite this charade, that these two would much rather not have to deal with him at all. Phillip has been especially cruel since their father’s death, having taken up the role of the Queen’s mouthpiece and lapdog. Henry resents him for it, but he can’t do anything about it. He’s already thinking of the rant he’ll have for Bea and Pez later about this nonsense.

“You are, first and foremost, a prince,” Phillip tells him. Like Henry doesn’t already _know_ that he’s a prince. He’s been reminded of that unfortunate fact every day since his father’s death. “Do I even want to know what you deemed important enough to take precedent over the celebrations?”

Henry shakes his head, hoping that his obedience will let him remain silent. It’s better for everyone if he remains silent during these reprimanding. Phillip doesn’t want to hear his voice most of the time and Henry never has any clue what to say. He’d rather just not speak than make things any worse for himself.

“Do enlighten us, Henry,” the Queen says, her voice sharp.

Henry looks between them for a moment, wondering if he could even get away with lying. He knows it will be of no use, though. They’ll both see right through it. He hangs his head. “I was exploring a wreck.”

Phillip slams a hand down on the arm of the throne. He shoots daggers at Henry. “You mean to tell me that instead of celebrating your grandmother’s reign as our beloved queen,” he starts, his voice hot and growing in intensity by the second, “you were off obsessing over humans? Humans are forbidden for everyone, Henry. You are no exception to the rule because you’re a prince. It’s the law––it protects all of us from _them_.”

“They’re not evil,” Henry says on reflex. He winces at his own words.

Phillip raises an eyebrow at him. “Oh? And how do you suppose that?”

Henry lets his hands clench by his sides. “Father found them fascinating,” he says. It’s true––he knows it. His father was the one who got him hooked on humans in the first place. They used to sneak around the palace in the middle of the night to go and find wrecks to explore. His father helped him start his collection. He gave him his first piece.

Phillip scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You are naive, Henry. And so was Father. He was an idiot––a simpleton from the citadel. He knew nothing of the dangers that humans posed to us.”

Henry shakes his head, blinking back tears. He can take Phillip’s rants, but he’ll be damned if he lets Phillip drag their father’s name through the muck like this. “He was a great man. An adventurer. Mother loved that about him.”

“Do tell him, Phillip,” the Queen says. “It’s high time he learned why.”

Henry looks at her with a furrowed brow, having no idea what she’s on about.

“Very well.” Phillip clears his throat. “Father was killed by humans, Henry. They murdered him in cold blood. If you’re not careful, the same thing very well mi––”

“That’s a lie!” Henry argues.

The room falls silent for a moment.

“Excuse me?” Phillip asks.

“Humans didn’t kill him. They _wouldn’t_. They’re not vicious like you make them out to be. They make the most beautiful things! They’re creators, not murders.”

“And you know this how?” Phillip inquires.

Henry opens his mouth to speak, but the Queen raises a hand to silence him. “That’s quite enough,” she snaps. “Henry, Shaan will escort you to your rooms where I expect you to remain until further instructed.”

Henry bites his lip, bows, and turns around to head for the double doors. The guards open it for him and he’s once again greeted by Shaan who pats his shoulder knowingly and leads him up to his rooms.


	2. Ablaze

Alex is going insane. His big birthday party is tonight and he really hates the thought of having to socialize with so many people. Normally, Alex loves to talk to people––he’s the life of the party. But this is his event, and his twenty-first birthday, so it’s a big deal and he’s freaking the fuck out. His anxiety is at an all time high since he somehow convinced his mother that he was fully capable of arranging everything. It had been a bit of a trade-off, actually. He wanted to have the party on a ship, which his mother was vehemently opposed to, so he told her that he would arrange everything as a compromise to make her let him do it at sea. She agreed, begrudgingly, and now Alex kind of wants to scream for a few hours and cancel the whole event. June and Nora have taken up the positions of unofficial party planners and are going over last-minute details with him.

“Then, at ten, we’ll do the fireworks,” Nora tells him. “There are twenty-one in total since it’s your twenty-first birthday and all.”

He doesn’t recall a conversation about fireworks at any point during this terrible process, but he figures that now isn’t the time to bring it up. He listens to Nora and June drone on and on about the specifics for the party, not really paying attention. He wishes that it didn’t have to be his birthday for his mother to let him go out to sea. Alex loves being on the water––he’s practically drawn to it. The ocean has a special siren call for him that he always seems to listen to, despite his mother’s warnings to not go beyond the shore. He doesn’t understand her problem with the ocean if he’s being honest. The palace is practically on the beach so it’s not like she’s just never been exposed to it or something. No one in their family has died at sea––at least that he’s aware of––so her aversion to the ocean strikes him as extremely peculiar and also extremely annoying. She’s fine if he goes swimming in the lake by their summer home, but not the open sea. Her explicit instructions to avoid the ocean have, of course, made him even more inclined to go sailing at every opportunity.

When the party finally rolls around, Alex makes small talk with a bunch of people he barely knows while he gets steadily more and more drunk. He can’t survive functions like this without alcohol, after all. He’s made sure that the invitations said “casual,” and most people have listened to that. Some people that are probably trying to impress him come wearing suits and more formal attire, so he makes a point of glaring at and ignoring them. He’s about four drinks in when his mother pulls him aside to talk by the rail on the port side.

“I know it’s your birthday and that you want to celebrate,” she says, eying his drink, “but I need to talk to you about something important.”

He groans. “Can’t it wait?”

She shakes her head at him. “I know that you’re still trying to figure everything out, but the people expect you to be married soon.”

He gapes at her, totally at a loss for words.

She nods understandingly and presses on. “I know. I personally don’t care much when you get married, but the citizens are sort of expecting it. Foreign leaders are expecting it. I know you’ve expressed some interest in running for president someday, and I don’t know if that’s something you still want to do––”

“Yeah,” he says, nodding enthusiastically, “I do. That’s what I want.”

She sighs. “It might be for the best, image-wise, if you found a girl to marry. It could be beneficial if she was from a powerful family, too.”

“Is that why you invited all of these girls I’ve never met?”

She sighs again and looks out at the water. It’s dark outside now, but the moon is in full force. There’s a steady breeze passing over them, causing little ripples in the moon-touched water. Alex looks at the ocean, too, wondering about what lies beneath its surface. He has to fight the urge to jump in and just let himself get lost in the waves beneath him. There’s something down there––something calling to him. He looks back at his mother who has a nervous expression on her face as she pulls her gaze away from the ocean and back towards the party on the deck. Alex wants to ask her why she’s so afraid of something they know so little about. He wants to ask her if she knows why there’s something deep inside his gut that urges him towards the never-ending blue. There has to be a reason for the magnetic pull in his stomach, right?

He doesn’t ask her, though. Maybe he will one day, but for now he has to go socialize and, apparently, find a potential bride. It’s ridiculous, he thinks, because marriage is the one thing that people will never seem to move off of. They’ve made great progress towards a better future––an elected president instead of a monarch, great ships that can brave the oceans––but everyone will still always be obsessed with marriage. Alex doesn’t even want to get married, especially not now. Maybe, if the right person came along, he would consider it. Right now marriage just seems like another thing he has to get done to get to where he wants to go in life. He plans on running for president someday, after all.

“Just think about it, okay, sugar?”

She places a reassuring hand on his shoulder before leaving him to his thoughts for a moment. He closes his eyes and lets the salty breeze calm him. This is why he wanted his party to be out here––because the gentle thrum of the ocean and the smell of the sea can always calm him even when his mother drops a huge bomb on him and walks away. He lets the feeling of the salty air stick to his skin and fill his senses before he sighs and returns to the party, hoping that the whole thing might just be forgotten in enough time and with enough alcohol.

Before he knows it, Nora and June are making a speech for him before giving him their gift. He listens with mild interest, more interested in the sound of the wind and the waves. He can feel the tingle of an impending storm hum across his skin and it makes him worry about the fate of this party. He wonders if they have enough lifeboats for everyone or if the storm will be so bad that lifeboats won’t even be an option. Will everyone have to swim ashore? He supposes that wouldn’t be too bad considering that the land is still in sight, though very far in the distance. His thoughts are interrupted by a round of applause that snaps him out of his head back to the present moment. He focuses his attention back to June and Nora who pull on two strings and reveal a large statue of himself etched out in marble. He barks out a laugh and thanks both of them kindly for the other guests but makes sure to whisper in their ears that this gift is atrocious. No one in their right mind would want such a thing, even Alex and his large ego.

Where the fuck is he supposed to put such a monstrosity?

Someone shouts from the crow’s nest as the wind picks up, knocking a tray of empty glasses clean across the deck and overboard. Gasps erupt and people start to panic, especially when a rogue candle from his birthday cake being brought out catches on a table cloth. The table goes up in flames and Alex watches in horror as it quickly spreads to the rest of the ship. He’s shouting before he even registers what’s happening––telling people to jump and swim to shore. Lifeboats aren’t an option anymore––the waves are massive and thrashing and the fire has probably already gotten to them, anyway. He jumps overboard, too, and starts to swim away when he hears a scream from onboard. He turns back and sees June struggling to get away from the flames long enough to jump in. Alex narrows his eyes and fights the current to get back to the ship, climbing up on the netting to get to June.

He dodges fire and falling tables on his way to her, feeling the flames lick his legs as he goes. He winces but brushes it aside––he needs to get to June before he worries about his legs. When he reaches her, he scoops her up in his arms and carefully moves both of them back to the edge of the ship, trying very hard to keep his balance as the ship rocks from the angry waves. He sets her down at the edge and urges her to jump. Just as she hits the water and Alex is preparing to jump in, too, something propels him forward and he just manages to register smacking against the water before everything goes dark.

****

When Pez had come to his barred windows and suggested going to the surface, Henry thought he was ridiculous.

“There are bars on my windows, Pez. I can’t get out,” he had told him.

Pez had rolled his eyes and produced a long, sharp rock and smirked at Henry as he got to work. A few minutes later, the bars were gone and Henry happily followed Pez up to the surface. He wondered what Pez was so excited about as they swam, but as soon as they poked their heads above water, Henry’s questions were answered.

Now he’s in complete awe of the sight before him. It’s a massive ship, one of the biggest he’s ever seen, and there’s music rolling off it in waves. He turns to Pez who just grins at him knowingly before he quickly swims closer, trying to get a better look. He notices the ornate tablecloths and the endless amount of people dancing and talking before he notices something that makes his mouth go dry.

It’s a man, no older than himself, with a head full of dark curls and a mischievous glint in his eye. Henry gapes at him, rendered completely speechless by the sight of this gorgeous human. The pull in his stomach––the one that makes him so eager to learn about humans––increases tenfold when he sees this beautiful man take a sip from a glass and smile at the girl he’s talking to. Not for the first time, Henry wishes he had legs so he could march right up to this man and introduce himself.

“God, he’s gorgeous,” he manages after a moment. He doesn’t even look over at Pez––all of his energy is going into staring at this man.

“Which one?”

Henry points to the curly-haired man and sighs in content. He wonders how humans show affection for each other. If he somehow got up there and kissed this guy, would he know how much Henry wanted him? Would he be able to tell that Henry was pretty sure that the mere sight of him was doing wonderful and torturous things to Henry’s insides?

“Yummy,” Pez sighs dreamily. He gasps. “The girl he’s talking to,” he says, pointing a bit to the left of the man that Henry has his sights on, “might be the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Are they related, do you think? They look similar.”

Henry squints so he can get a better view. They do look like they could be related, he supposes. They have the same coloring. While the girl is, objectively, very pretty, the man is the one that makes Henry’s throat close up and his breathing go ragged. Pez can fantasize about the girl, but Henry would like to call dibs on the dreamy guy.

They watch the party unfold for a bit, both making comments about their respective human crushes every so often, before it happens. They feel it in the water, first. It’s some sort of merperson magic, Henry supposes––the ability to feel things in the water. He turns to Pez, his eyes wide and frantic. Pez must feel it, too, because he shares the same look of concern. They both instinctively look up at the ship where a statue of the man is being unveiled. Henry knows that there’s no way for everyone to get to safety in time, even if they were allowed to speak to the humans to warn them. Pez tugs at his arm.

“We need to go, Hen,” he says, gesturing to the water.

Henry pries himself off of him as the wind picks up. Something bright burns in his peripheral vision, making him turn to look. Something on the ship is hot and bright and it can’t be something good because everyone starts to jump off the boat. Henry knows that he and Pez should leave before they’re discovered, but the hair haired guy is going back up onto the bright ship and Henry knows that this won’t end well for him. Something tears in his chest when he thinks about this man drowning.

He sticks his chin out and shakes his head at Pez. “I have to help him!” he shouts over the wind. He doesn’t even wait for Pez’s response before he starts swimming towards the ship, eager to make sure that the human gets to safety. He’s knocked back by a loud noise followed by some sort of explosion. When he resurfaces, he sees the fragments of the ship sinking below the waves, the water quelling the bright hot things on impact. He looks frantically for the guy––because last he saw, he was still on the ship––and sees something floating near him in the water. It’s sinking fast because there’s some sort of object on top of it. Curious, he dives beneath the waves to see what’s sinking.

It’s him. He’s unconscious and there’s debris on top of him that’s pushing him towards the ocean floor. Henry helps and torpedoes over to him, willing his tail to move as quickly as possible to get him there. He knows that humans can’t breathe underwater so time is of the essence. He quickly pushes the debris off of the man’s body, scoops him up in his arms, and rockets him to the surface. He half expects the man to gasp and take in the air, but he’s unmoving even on the surface. Henry frantically looks around for someone to help him, but all of the humans must be back on the shore already. Pez is nowhere to be found, either, so it looks like it’s up to him to get the man home.

He makes sure to navigate the water carefully as to not cause any further harm to the human in his arms. God, there’s a human in his arms. Not only is he a human, but he has to be the most attractive human that Henry has ever seen. The most attractive creature that he’s ever seen. He wants so desperately to know his name––to know everything he can about him. With the gorgeous man in his arms, even unconscious, that tugging feeling goes away. Could this person be the thing he’s always searched for? The thing that’s kept him up at night? The world slots into place when he looks down and sees his face. His gorgeous curls and his soft parted lips. Henry wants to know what his eyes look like––if the answers he’s been searching for are held there.

He knows that he won’t be able to help himself once he gets him to shore. He’ll have to wait until he wakes up so he can feel the heat of his gaze––to know what it’s liked to be even looked at by such a creature. He’ll worry about the possible reproductions after he knows that this human is safe––he’s worth the risk.


	3. Fragmented

Henry manages to get them both to the shore after a grueling swim on the surface. It would have been easier if the human could breathe underwater since the current was better at a lower depth, but he had managed. Now the sun starts to shine down on the sand of the shores by this human and the nearby palace that stands right off the shoreline. Henry pulls himself up beside the human, admiring how breathtaking he looks in this lighting. The sun bounces off his curls and gives his skin a beautiful, golden hue to it that makes Henry’s heart clench in his chest. He tentatively brushes a finger against the man’s cheek, just to feel the skin there. God, the feeling is marvelous. It shoots pleasant tingles through Henry’s body.

“Is he…” someone asks from behind him.

He turns back towards the ocean and sees Pez there with a nervous look on his face. He’s surprised that Pez even came so close to shore, even though he’s still in the water. This is more forbidden than anything they’ve ever done before. “I think he’s alive,” Henry tells him before turning back to the human. “He’s breathing.”

He sighs as he tries to commit each detail of his face to memory. He doesn’t think he’ll be lucky or skilled enough to get back to the surface to see him again, but he wants to try. He desperately wants to try. He wants legs so he can stay here with this man and kiss him and tell him he’s beautiful. He wants to experience everything with this human and his gorgeous face and beautiful hair. And Henry doesn’t even know his name.

Do humans even have names?

As he stares down at him, his fingers only an inch or so from those soft curls, Henry recalls a poem he read once. “How do I love thee?” he begins, his voice a low whisper as he brushes a hair away from the man’s face. “Let me count the ways. I love thee to thy depth and breadth and height my soul can re––”

“Alex?” someone shouts in the distance.

Henry’s head snaps up to find the voice. There’s a woman running down the slope from the palace to the shore, her hands cupped over her mouth.

“Alexander? I swear to fucking God, if you’re just sun-bathing, I’m going to kill you.”

Henry looks down for one last glimpse of the man––who may or may not be Alex––and sees his brown eyes open. He looks up inquisitively at Henry and reaches out for him, but Henry can’t lean into his touch. Instead, he forces himself back into the ocean before he’s discovered by the angry woman threatening some man’s life. He dives back into the ocean and finds a rock to hide behind, hoping to catch another glimpse of the human before he returns to the depths below. Pez has made himself scarce, probably at the sound of another human, but Henry doesn’t mind being alone. He doesn’t mind being alone with all of these emotions and thoughts while he stares at the human coming-to on the shore.

He sits up and rubs his eyes. The angry woman approaches him and throws her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed with him.

“What the fuck are you doing out here, Alex?”

Henry’s heart nearly skips a beat. The human has a name. Alex. _Alex_. God, it’s the most wondrous name in the world. Each of the two vowels is a silent prayer as he whispers the name to himself to keep forever. _Alex. Alexander._

Alex looks up at the woman and then back towards the sea. Henry ducks on reflex even though he knows that he’s obscured by this rock and much too far away for either of them to spot without really trying.

“How do I love thee…” Alex mumbles, still looking out at the ocean.

“Are you into poetry now or something?” the angry woman asks, hovering over him.

Alex pulls himself to his feet and turns to face her. “Someone was here. They had blond hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen and––Zahra, I have to find them. I think––they saved my life.”

Henry wants to jump out and scream that yes, yes he did save Alex’s life. And yes, he will accept payment in kisses. He keeps his thoughts to himself, though, and watches as the woman––Zahra, he supposes––sighs and tugs on Alex’s arm, dragging him up the slope to the palace. With each step and incoherent muttering that Henry can’t hear, his heart breaks more and more. He misses Alex’s face and presence already. A feeling of nausea washes over him as Alex disappears over the slope towards the palace. His tail trashes angrily and without his consent––snagging itself against a sharp piece of rock. Henry hisses but realizes that the sharp sting in his blue tail is nothing compared to the sting in his heart.

Fuck, he wishes he could have legs. He wishes he were a human, too, so he could see Alex every day––so he could talk to him and kiss him and love him and know him. He wonders, vacantly, if his father ever wanted to be a human. If his father had this deep yearning burning inside of him when he looked upon the shore.

He grits his teeth and plunges back below the surface of the water, fighting back tears as he heads back to his rooms in his lonely castle down in the deep. He hopes that his grandmother has forgotten about his punishment by now so he can sneak in and out without facing her wrath. He manages to get in just fine through the window but he wonders if he should stay inside his rooms where he knows he’s safe and protected. He’s considering looking at the human objects from the shipwreck when someone knocks on his door. He quickly throws the satchel under his bed and makes his way to the door, praying that it’s not Phillip.

It’s not Phillip, much to his relief. It’s Bea.

“Thank Poseidon,” she exclaims, throwing her arms around him, “I was worried that you’d get caught up there.”

Henry hugs her back for a moment before pulling away. “Did Pez tell you?”

She nods frantically. Henry feels guilty for having worried her, but he also can’t bring himself to regret a single moment of it. Each precious second with Alex was totally worth it. “Did you save him?”

“Yeah, I did. I––Bea, he was so _gorgeous_. I didn’t––how is it possible for a human to be so beautiful?”

She smiles at him weakly. “I want to hear all about it, but you know we can’t discuss it here. Should we go to your hideout? Pez has a surprise for you there.”

Henry raises an eyebrow. “Really? What is it?”

He’s never been given a surprise before.

Bea laughs and shoves him away. “Go get your things and you’ll see.”

Henry obliges, groping under his bed to find his discarded satchel. He peers inside to make sure the two human objects are still there before securing it around his shoulder and following Bea out of the room. He follows her past Shaan who just raises an eyebrow at them––he knows exactly where they’re going but won’t say anything––and out of the citadel.

The hideout is a small cavern he stumbled across years ago with his father. The two of them started this collection together and it’s Henry’s unspoken task to finish it. He’s got, probably, over a hundred pieces in here. Some of them are on the bigger side, but a lot of them are smaller objects. His father used to help him identify the objects, but now it’s up to Henry, Bea, and Pez to determine each object’s use and name. It’s always fun to guess what the humans use these peculiar things for and what their potential names might be. Today, he knows that they’ll come up with something good for the two newest additions to his collection.

As soon as he enters the space, the breath is knocked right out of him. Stood in the center of the sandy floor is a statue––a statue he recognizes as Alex. He gasps and swims up to it, barely even hearing Bea and Pez’s giggles in the background. The statue is bigger than Alex is in real life, so each of his features is more defined. Henry runs a tentative hand across the stone jawline, marveling at how realistic it looks. He turns back to Pez and Bea with tears in his eyes and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for these two wonderful merpeople in front of him.

“Thank you,” he says in a tearful whisper. He rushes over to them and engulfs them in a massive group hug. They hug him back enthusiastically, clearly happy to see a smile on his face.

“Do you like it? I had to get some help from Shaan, but––”

“I love it,” Henry exclaims, still filled with so much awe and adoration that it hurts to breathe. “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

Pez flashes him a wicked grin and makes himself comfortable on one of the ledges that they use for seating when they all hang out here. It’s the one place where they can speak freely without worrying that the Queen will overhear them and accuse them of treason or some other ridiculous claim. Bea, using her magic, conjures up some music before she sits down, too.

Merpeople magic is a peculiar thing. Only some common folk possess abilities, but all of the royals are supposed to have some magical capability. Bea can conjure up music, Phillip can persuade people to tell the truth (which Henry really hates), the Queen can render people mute, and his mother can sing lullabies that instantly put someone to sleep. He isn’t sure what gift his father possessed or if he even had a gift in the first place. His father was a commoner––a nobody––so it seems entirely likely that he had no special gift of his own. Henry supposes that he inherited this trait from him for he has no magic of his own. It’s part of the reason why the Queen loathes him so violently––it’s another thing that sets him apart from the rest of his family and the royal image he’s supposed to maintain. Not only is he attracted to mermen, and not only does he have an affinity for human objects, but he also possesses no magic of his own. He’s a disgrace to the family legacy, or so his grandmother has told him.

He pulls the objects out of his satchel and hands them to Bea to identify. Since she’s the oldest of the three of them here, he trusts her opinions. She turns the silver, pronged object over in her hands and holds it up to the light.

“What do you think it is?” Henry asks her, already rubbing the muck away from the other object to get it ready for her to evaluate.

“I think––it must be a hairbrush of some kind. Something made for shorter hair, perhaps. See?”

She rakes the prongs through her hair to demonstrate. Henry and Pez “ooh” and “aw” as they watch the object pull through her tangles. She smiles triumphantly and trades the hairbrush item for the strange object in Henry’s hand. He swims up to find a home for the silver object while Bea studies the new one with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.

“What’re you thinking, Bea?” Pez asks, craning his neck to get a better look at the object.

“It must be some sort of musical instrument,” she says. She stares at it for another moment before bringing it to her lips and blowing into it. A stream of bubbles escapes and Henry and Pez watch as they float up to the surface. She hands it back to Henry who goes and finds a place for it on one of the makeshift shelves.

“So tell me about this human you saved,” Bea says.

Henry grins and swims back down to her. “Well, he’s gorgeous. Have I mentioned that?”

“Once or twice,” Pez chuckles.

Bea shushes him.

“His name is Alex, by the way. Someone came to find him and called him that. Isn’t it the most gorgeous name you’ve ever heard in your life?”

Bea opens her mouth to reply when something crashes near the entrance to the hideout. They all turn to see what’s going on and find Phillip and the Queen swimming in. The Queen holds the royal scepter in her hands and narrows her eyes at the three of them when she enters. Phillip has a smug look on his face, undoubtedly the one who led the Queen here. Henry pushes himself off the seat and stares at Phillip with his chin out––trying to put a brave face on. Pez and Bea remain silent and still––too afraid to even blink.

“When Shaan told us about your hideout, Henry, I have to say that I did not expect to find…this,” the Queen says, waving her free hand at all of the human objects scattered around the cave.

Henry’s fists clench by his side and he grits his teeth. “Shaan would never have said a word.”

Phillip raises an eyebrow at him. “Oh, really? Not even if I… _persuaded_ him?”

Henry has to really make an effort not to attack Phillip right now. There’s a knot growing in his stomach at the thought of what these two might do to his friends and to his collection. He can handle being banished to his rooms, but he refuses to let Pez or Bea get caught in the crosshairs of this mess.

Phillip swims up to the statue and scoffs at it, flicking the marble skin of Alex’s cheek. “And who might this be? A crush?”

Henry turns red from both embarrassment and anger. He wants to say something but the words are getting caught in his throat.

“I thought we’d told you already,” the Queen says, “that if you were drawn in… _unnatural_ directions, we would have to fix it. Have you not learned your lesson?”

Henry blinks back tears.

Phillip approaches him with a hard, startling stare. “You haven’t spoken to this human, have you?”

Henry shakes his head. “No.” He tries to make it sound as convincing as possible.

Phillip raises an eyebrow and lifts his hand, his palm outstretched towards Henry’s throat. Henry closes his eyes and braces himself for the dry, horrible feeling that he knows is coming with this gesture. This is Phillip using his magic to humiliate Henry even further––to call him out on his lie. 

“I’ll ask you one more time, Henry,” he says with venom, “did you speak to this human?”

Henry squeezes a tear out of his closed eyes and tries to bite his lip to keep himself from responding, but Phillip’s magic is too strong for him to fight for long. He knows that he won’t be able to breathe until the word leaves his lips. “ _Yes_.”

Phillip releases the magic from him and Henry slumps down towards the sand, holding his throat. Bea and Pez rush to his side to help him up again and make sure he’s okay.

He watches as the Queen hands Phillip the royal scepter. “Take care of this,” she demands him. She shoots Henry an evil glare before she swims off, leaving the four of them alone in the cave. Henry silently begs Phillip to be a good older brother and just let this go. He begs him to push him but not Pez and Bea. For a moment, the two hold eye contact and Henry thinks that maybe this is his magic––silently convincing Phillip to do the nice thing instead of blindly obeying the Queen’s orders.

Phillip looks away and points the scepter at a shelf of objects––objects Henry found on one of his first outings with their father.

“No!” he screams, trying to swim between the beam of eerie green light that shoots from the scepter and the shelf. He’s too late, though. The beam hits the shelf and instantly breaks every object that was on it. Bea and Pez restrain him as Phillip fires the scepter again and again until Henry’s life’s work is in mere fragmented pieces around him. He lets out a mangled sob as he realizes that the only thing Phillip hasn’t destroyed is the statue.

“ _Please_ ,” he begs in a broken whisper. “Phillip, don’t do this. I’m your brother, I just––”

Phillip shakes his head at him. “You need to be taught a lesson. You violated our most sacred law and you must be punished for your actions, Henry. You had this coming.”

Henry watches in horror as Phillip points the scepter at the statue and, in a blinding mass of green light, Alex’s chiseled body explodes into sharp fragments that cut Henry’s arm. He screams and gets loose from Pez and Bea’s grip, swimming towards the shattered remains and clutching them desperately in his arms. He looks up at Phillip with wet, red eyes. He wants to say something to tell him off but Phillip just smirks and swims away, seemingly satisfied with his work.

“Hen––” Pez tries, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

Henry flinches and shrugs him off. “Leave me,” he pleads, not looking away from the bits of Alex in his arms .”Just––leave me.”


	4. The Deep Blue Sea

Alex may or may not be extremely obsessed with finding his savior. Even though Zahra is trying to keep him on bedrest, he’s still managing to sneak out of his room and find his mom. He’s been pestering her for the past ten minutes and he can see that she’s either very close to caving or to hurting him, but he’ll take his chances.

“Mom, I’m not asking for much, here.”

She shoots him a very pointed look that makes him fear for his life. “You’re asking me to force every single blond-haired, blue-eyed person in the nation to come to the palace so you can see if they’re the one who saved you. Which, I’d like to remind you, probably didn’t even happen.”

He rolls his eyes and leans back in the leather seat dramatically. “Mom,” he groans.

“Alex, I’m not doing this.”

“You can narrow it down to people with accents who like poetry!”

The grand double doors burst open and Zahra stands in the doorway with an annoyed expression on her face and her hands on her hips. “For fuck’s sake,” she growls, “you’re supposed to be in bed.”

Alex glares at her for a moment, ignoring her even as she stomps over to him to try and drag him back to his room. “I’ll go to bed if you make the order,” he counters to his mom.

She sighs and rolls her eyes. Zahra reaches out for him but he ducks out of his chair and goes under the grand mahogany table to avoid her. Both Zahra and his mom let out a collective groan of annoyance while he hides under the table like a child mid-tantrum.

“I’ll go upstairs if you make the call,” he says, poking his head out from under the table.

Zahra folds her arms across her chest. “What’s he talking about?”  
His mom sighs in exasperation. “He wants me to make an executive order to have every blond-haired, blue-eyed person in the nation come here so he can see if they’re the one that saved him. Which, by the way, I’m not doing,” she explains with a kick under the table. Alex just narrowly avoids her foot as he rolls to the side.

“I’ll take him back upstairs and put him under lockdown,” Zahra says.

“I’ll go if you let me take my boat out to find them.”

“Oh, so now you think that they’re just randomly floating in the water?” his mom asks.

Alex rolls his eyes even though he knows that they can’t see him. “They could be a mermaid.”

Zahra scoffs. “Mermaids don’t exist, dumbass. And if they did, why would one of them risk their neck to save your crazy ass?”

His mom snickers in agreement. “Let me take the boat or I stay under here forever.”

It’s silent for a moment.

“I could just––” Zahra begins.

His mom cuts her off. “Fine. Take the boat. But you’re taking June and Cash, too.”

He considers this for a moment before he rolls out from under the table to accept the deal. June usually comes with him when he sneaks out on the boat anyway so he doesn’t mind that. Cash is a great deal more relaxed than the other members of the security detail so he accepts that, too. If Zahra had been the one to come along, he doesn’t think he would have done it. As much as he loves (and fears) her, he knows that she would do everything in her power to deter him from his mission. He knows that, somewhere out in the world, this person exists. They saved his life in that wreck and he needs to be able to thank them or repay them for their kindness.

He, June, and Cash cross the little strip of beach before coming to the docks. It’s the Presidential Pier, officially, so only their personal boats are kept here. Alex has his own little sailboat that he’s rarely able to use since his mom decided to crack down on his little trips on the ocean. He used to spend so much time on this boat with June and Nora. They would take it out and pack a lunch and just sit out on the water for hours and hours until it started to get dark and they had to head to shore. He misses the feeling of the wind in his hair and the spray of the sea as it laps up over the sides of the small boat and tickles his arms and legs. He misses the way the wind messes up his hair.

While they head out, he thinks about his savior. He’s always heard the stories of mermaids, but he never really thought they could actually be real until this morning. Whoever saved him had to have had the ability to swim for a long time without sinking, even while carrying him, as well. He supposes that, given that the capital is on the water, any number of citizens could possess such amazing swimming prowess, but that doesn’t explain how his savior was able to just disappear. If the blue-eyed person was a mermaid, it would all make sense. Not only would a mermaid have the ability to get Alex safely to shore through turbulent waters, but they would also have the uncanny ability to seemingly disappear from the small beach. He’s mad at himself for not considering this possibility earlier.

“What exactly are we looking for, Alex?” June asks them once they’re coasting.

He stares down at the light blue water in an attempt to find some kind of hint at a world that lies under the surface. He wonders if the mermaids have cities like they do on land. Maybe they all just live in sea caves or something.

“I’m not sure. A tail or something? Bubbles?”

June shoots him a dubious look. “Bubbles?”

He shrugs, sighs, and sits down. He keeps his gaze on the water and lets his hand puncture the sparkling surface. He doesn’t think he’d mind being a mermaid. Swimming all day and being able to breathe underwater seems like a pretty great life when he thinks about it. As much as he loves being the son of the president and a rising political star, sometimes he wishes that he could just avoid all of his responsibilities for a while. He’s had the thought before––of running away––but now it weighs heavily on his chest and consumes his mind. He doesn’t want to get married, no matter what the people want. He refuses to marry for political reasons. If he ever gets married, he wants it to be to someone he loves and someone who loves him back. He wants an epic love story and someone to hold and talk to. He feels like he has so much to offer the world––so much to offer a potential bride––and he would hate to waste it on a loveless marriage. If he marries someone he doesn’t love, he’s sure that part of him will die with the union.

“What’s going on, Alex?” June asks, sitting next to him.

“We’re looking for the person that saved my life.”

She rolls her eyes and nudges him with her shoulder. “What’s really going on? Why the obsession with this person? They might not even be real.”

He shrugs and pointedly avoids her gaze. “Mom wants me to get married.”

June gasps. “What? To who?”

“No one. Anyone. Does it matter? I––I don’t want to get married, Bug. I mean, I do, but not right now. I always thought…maybe it was stupid for me to think this, but––”

“You want to marry for love, don’t you?”

He nods and hangs his head in humiliation. He knows that part of the whole thing is to marry someone that will help forge a political connection. He knows that. It’s why his mom married his dad––even though it didn’t work out. The loving the person part is supposed to come after the marriage. If you spend enough time with someone, you’re bound to love them in some way or another. That’s what everyone thinks, anyway. But Alex is conflicted. He knows, logically, that marrying some princess or something will help him become president himself one day but he can’t bring himself to just pick someone and marry them without loving them first. It’s worked out well for his mom who is now happily married to Leo, but that rarely happens. The nation is progressive, but some old traditions will always win out. Yeah, you can get divorced if things are really bad, but that doesn’t negate the tradition of marrying someone of a similar political standing. It makes Alex itch to think about.

“That’s normal, Alex,” June assures him.

“Maybe for normal people.”

“You’re a normal person,” she argues. “You’re just, also, the son of the president.”

“I want to be president someday,” he whispers. “This is going to be my life, Bug. I’m choosing it. I know what it entails, but I…I thought I would have found someone by now. And maybe this mysterious blond-haired person with blue eyes is the answer. Maybe they’re someone I could really love and let love me. I don’t know and I won’t know until I find them.”

He looks out at the water again while June wraps a reassuring arm around his shoulders.

“I won’t let her make you marry someone you don’t love.”

Alex sighs and leans into her, settling his head into the crook of her neck. He closes his eyes and lets her familiar scent and feel wash over him for a moment––a moment of calm. “It’s not her, though. It’s the people. That’s what she said, anyway. It’ll help me in the long-run.”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You’ve never been one to listen to the rules.”

If Alex has to choose between the presidency and someone he loves…well, he thinks that he’ll choose the presidency. It’s not that the idea of love is somehow less than the idea of the presidency, but loving someone seems like a distant dream now. He’s never been in love before. He’s had crushes, he thinks, and he’s really liked one or two people, but he’s never been in love. He’s never ached with missing someone. There’s never been this feeling of overwhelming adoration when he looks upon a certain face. He’s spent his whole life reaching for goals like the presidency and positions in the world, but never once has he been forced to sit down and really think about what relationship goals there might be for him to achieve. Now that he thinks about it, he knows that he wants it. He doesn’t know if he’ll ever be allowed to have it, but he so desperately wants to find someone who loves him for the crazy, anxious guy that he is and someone that he can love for the person that they are.

“We’ll figure it out,” June assures him, pulling her fingers through his hair to calm him.

He hums and closes his eyes for a moment.

He’ll get through this. He’ll figure it out. It might suck, and he might have to marry someone he doesn’t love, but he’ll be okay. He’ll have June and Nora and his parents and, somewhere in the back of his mind, his guardian angel. Even if he doesn’t find that angel today or tomorrow or ever again, they’ll always be in his heart, no matter what he decides to do.


	5. One Step Closer

Henry isn’t sure how long he stays there, his face buried in his elbows as he sobs violently into this rock like it might, somehow, understand how he’s feeling if he howls loud enough. He can’t bring himself to look up and around at the ruins of his former safe place because he knows that, if he does, he’ll never be able to stop crying. This cave was his home. It was the one place he could be himself without judgment or fear that the Queen or Philip might overhear him. It was a place where he stored the memories of his father––the man who showed him the cave and helped start the collection. Now, because of Philip and that bloody scepter, it’s all gone. All of the smiles and good times that happened here are nothing but shards and fragments half-buried in the sand around him. It breaks his heart to think about returning to the castle with his head high as he tries not to show how much this gets to him. He’ll have to continue to play nice with the Queen and Philip knowing fully well the lengths they’ll go to ensure that he’s miserable for the rest of his pathetic, useless life.

He wishes that his father was still alive. He wishes that he could ask him for his advice or, at the very least, that his father could take him to get more human things. He would bend down, smile, set his hand upon Henry’s shoulder, and tell him that things would be okay with time. If his father was alive, he would protect Henry from everything that hurts him. He would shield Henry from their terrible family and the stupid customs that were created to ruin Henry’s life.

But his father isn’t here and there’s no one to protect him. Bea and Pez are gone because he pushed them away like he always does. Now he’s alone and crying and he’s never felt more miserable in his entire life. Any hope he harbored to see Alex again is long gone now. Alex has been reduced to a mere dream––a fantasy.

“Poor child,” an unnerving voice hisses from above him. He looks up and sees two long eels moving towards him. His eyes widen as he takes in the sight of their dark, slimy bodies as they slice through the water. Eels are dark creatures that he’s never encountered. They’re one of the creatures that the Queen has exiled from Britlantis in the name of peace.

“Who are you?” Henry asks, glaring at them. He doesn’t mean to discriminate, but something about their cold eyes and crooked, yellowing teeth makes his stomach churn. They must be desperate for something if they’re risking their scales to come within the confines of the kingdom. He shudders to think what they might be after.

“We’re here to help you,” one says.

Henry scrunches his nose and furrows his brows. “How can you help me?”

They look at each other and smirk. “Our master has great power.”

“I don’t need great power,” Henry says, thinking about the bright green light of the scepter as is destroyed everything he holds dear.

They chuckle at him like he’s an idiot. He’s starting to think that he might be.

“He can help you be with your human,” the first one says.

Henry’s heart skips a beat at the thought. He would give anything to be with Alex. His heart aches for him and his sun-kissed skin and his tousled curls. The thought of, somehow, getting to be with Alex makes his stomach swirl in excitement. But, no matter how much he wants this, he knows that he can’t have it. If there’s one good lesson that he’s learned from his grandmother, it’s to never trust a fish with what is clearly an ulterior motive. The world doesn’t just grant wishes if you cry enough. No one is just going to give you whatever you desire because you’re heart-broken enough. No one will bring back your father if you miss him enough.

“Who’s your master? Do you do serve?” Henry inquires, skeptical. He can’t recall any powerful merpeople nearby or outside of the royal family.

“Richards,” one hisses, “the powerful warlock.”

Henry shakes his head ferociously. It’s a name he’s heard before, always in a negative way. Richards can’t be trusted––he knows that much. “He’s evil. Why would he––no. Leave me alone!” he cries, his heartbreaking at the realization that all hope is truly lost. He collapses against the rock again in defeat. Maybe, if Richards wasn’t the one offering to help, Henry would have taken the eels’ offer.

“Well, suit yourself. It was only a suggestion,” one of the eels hisses. He hears something move and land by his fins. With a sniffle, he moves to look at the object.

It’s charred but Henry can tell what it is. He softly brushes off the soot to reveal Alex’s marble face. He looks down at it––at those stone-cut features that he’s become so fascinated with. As he stares into Alex’s blank, stony eyes, it all becomes quite clear to him.

He’s never been truly happy before. He’s been fairly content and less miserable, but never really, definitively happy. Happiness is such a new feeling for him but he knows that he wants to chase it––to grasp it firmly in his hands and hold it close to his heart. The love blooming in his chest is more fulfilling than anything he’s felt before. This love, though new, is far better than anything he’s felt or experienced in the sea. His family has failed him repeatedly. Bea is the only one of them that he can trust these days––the only one he’ll regret leaving behind. He hasn’t seen his mother since his father died apart from royal celebrations that require her presence. He’ll carry the memories of his father with him when he’s on the land––he’ll give his father the adventure of a lifetime as he sees the objects they once collected together used by humans.

There’s that pull in his gut again and it’s drawing him to the eels and Richards and whatever life awaits him on the surface.

“Wait!” he calls, dropping the statue piece and dashing to the entrance of the cave. The eels are still here, in the shadows, like they’ve been waiting for him. Like they somehow knew that he would come. “I’ll come. I’ll do it.”

The eels grin at each other. “Good. Follow us.”

Henry sticks his chin out and follows them out into the light. The Queen, Philip, Bea, and Pez seem to be long gone, so no one tries to stop him. The eels lead him away from Britlantis––from the only place he’s ever known––and into the deep, dark ocean. They pass a small bundle of driftwood and stone shacks. He sees sad, unfortunate-looking merpeople move around the area––merpeople that glare at him as he swims by.

“Who are they?” he asks the eels in a nervous whisper.

“Poor, unfortunate souls,” one tells him.

“Cast out by your queen.”

Guilt washes over him. “Can Richards not help them?”

One of the eels scoffs at him. “Richards doesn’t help just anyone.”

“His clients are special. Honored to be chosen.”

Henry feels dubious about that. What kind of “powerful warlock” only helps certain people? If he has the power, why not help everyone? And why has he chosen to help Henry of all people? Something about this doesn’t feel right, but Henry’s too determined to care. If it seems sketchy when he gets there, he can always just leave. Return to his old life. Be miserable forever.

He sighs and continues to follow the eels until they reach a cavern with an eerie red light spewing from within. Henry pauses for a moment to take in the sight of this horrifying place. The eels notice his reluctance, stop, and turn to face him.

“Well?”

“Are you coming?”

Is being human really worth all of this?

Henry wants to cry because yes, yes it is.

He follows them into the cavern and takes in the strange sight around him. There are shelves of strange vials and objects in jars that Henry can’t make out. Somewhere, maybe in one of the jars, something groans. Henry’s heart races in his chest as he swims behind the eels and approaches a big cauldron filled with an eerie, blood-red liquid. Henry looks around in an attempt to find Richards, assuming he’s just a merman. A shadow crosses over him from above and he looks up to find black tentacles coming towards him. He screams and scrambles to get out of the way as the tentacled creature starts to laugh in a deep, hoarse chuckle. Henry watches as the creature reveals itself––it’s a merman but his tail is like an octopus. He has white hair and a wide face. His eyes are nearly completely back, save for the bits of red reflecting in them from the cauldron. He grins at Henry like Henry might be the next thing to do into the cauldron. He swallows a lump in his throat and absent-mindedly searches for a good exit point.

“Henry,” the creature says. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Henry smiles nervously. “Are you Richards, then?”

The creature nods. “I understand you have a problem. Something to do with a handsome president’s son?”

Henry frowns at him. “What’s a president?”

Richards laughs and waves his arms dramatically. “Oh, never you mind. I’ve got just the thing to make all of your dreams come true.”

“And what might that be?”

Richards grins at him. It’s unnerving. “A little spell to get you some legs.”

Henry tries to keep his expression unreadable. “Forever?”

“Well, not quite. There’s something you have to do first to make the change permanent.”

Henry raises an eyebrow. “What?”

Richards starts swimming in a menacing circle around him. “You have to get him to kiss you. You can’t kiss him––he has to be the one to initiate it.”  
“That’s it?”

“You’ll have only three days to do it.”

Henry considers it for a moment. Three days to make Alex kiss him…can he do that? He supposes that he could always read him more poetry––that might work. He seemed to like it enough the first time. Henry nods in understanding.

“Oh, and there’s just one more tiny detail. The payment.”

Henry wishes he had brought his circlet that he refuses to wear. It would probably be worth something. “I don’t––”

“I don’t want your circlet or your gold,” Richards snaps. “What I want is something…intangible. You won’t even miss it.”

“What do you require?”

“Your voice.”

Henry is already shaking his head and backing away. The idea is ridiculous. It would already be hard enough to get Alex to kiss him in three days, let alone without the ability to speak. There is no way this can work. Henry’s most redeeming quality is his intellect. If he can’t speak––read aloud, debate, converse––how the fuck is he supposed to get Alex to like him? Without his voice, Henry will just be a clumsy idiot with blue eyes and an awe-struck look on his face.

“I can’t do that. I––no thank you. Good day!”

He starts to swim off but the eels block him. The light has shifted from red to white behind him. He turns and sees an orb of bright light floating above the cauldron. Richards has his hands cupped around it, obviously the source of this magic. Henry moves closer and sees a vivid image of Alex on a boat somewhere with the girl Pez liked and a man.

He turns to Richards. “What…what is this?”

“This is your man. He’s on a boat with his sister and a security guard. Would you like to hear what he’s saying?”

Henry nods and moves closer to the orb to get a better view of Alex. Richards snaps his fingers and the sound of crashing waves and wind fills the cavern.

“If I could find them…” Alex sighs, looking out onto the open sea.

The girl sighs and wraps her arm around him and looks out at the sea with him. Henry wonders what they’re looking for. “I know. But, Alex, you don’t know anything about them. You don’t even know what they are, let alone what their soul is like.”

Alex shakes his head, his curls bouncing along with the movement. “I––I just know that they’re the one, okay? I feel it. It’s––something in me knows that they’re the one. I can’t let the people make me marry some random girl when I know that my person is out there waiting for me. It’ll kill me, June.”

Henry reaches out to try to touch Alex––to tell him that he’s the one he’s looking for. God, Alex sounds so broken and sad. Henry wants to scoop him up in his arms and keep him safe. He feels it, too. The thing inside of him that draws him to Alex.

Richards claps his hands together and the orb disappears, taking Alex with it. Henry feels empty without him already. “So?”

Henry doesn’t even have to think about it. “Yes. I’ll do it.”

Richards grins and starts pouring various vials into the cauldron which makes it bubble. “Oh, one more thing. If you don’t get him to kiss you in three days time, you’ll turn back into a merman and your soul will be mine forever.”

Henry doesn’t even care anymore––what has he got to lose? His soul isn’t his own anywhere in the sea. If he returns to Britlantis, his soul will belong to his grandmother and Philip. If he goes to the surface, if he tries this, he has the first chance he’s ever had to be his own person––to live the life he longs for, hopefully in the arms of someone he’s falling in love with. So what’s another condition to this? What does it matter if Richards takes his soul if he can’t win Alex’s love?

He nods and Richards continues to pour things into the cauldron while reciting some sort of incantation in a language Henry’s never heard before. He grabs something, a necklace with a vial attached to the bottom, and slips it over his head. He holds the vial firmly in one hand and looks to Henry expectantly.

“Your voice,” he says.

So Henry does the only thing he can think of doing: he recites. “Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow —You are not wrong, who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? All that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream.”

With each word, a current swirls and intensifies around them. He sees his voice leave him on the last line––turning into a golden ball of light and floating through the water towards the vial around Richards’ neck. He misses it already––his throat feels empty and hollow without it. But the spell continues to grow and Henry is rising in the water without moving and a red light engulfs him.

Pain like he’s never felt before shoots through him. He tries to scream but no sound comes out when he cries out. His tail feels like it’s being burned by the sun––his fins feel like he’s dropped a rock on them. He closes his eyes as he tries to make the pain go away. He focuses on Alex’s face and how he’s doing this for the sake of a chance at love and a better life. He can handle the pain––it will be worth it. He knows this. But knowing it doesn’t make the searing pain go away any faster.

Suddenly, the pain stops. His vision is blurry and everything’s dark and he can’t breathe. He gapes as he struggles to take water in before remembering that humans––which is what he must be now––can’t breathe underwater. Fuck, he should have thought this through. Based on the way Richards is smiling at him, this must be part of his plan. What does he want? Power? He can have whatever Henry has to offer as long as Henry can make it to the surface.

He starts to lose consciousness but he registers two sets of arms hauling him up and out of the cavern. The arms are taking him to the surface––he can tell because it keeps getting brighter and brighter. As soon as they break the surface, he takes in a big mouthful of air and smiles like a lunatic because when he moves, he feels two things keeping him afloat instead of one. He grins and turns to see his saviors and finds himself face-to-face with a very concerned looking Pez and Bea.

He starts to cough and then feels a bit faint.

Pez throws his arm around him again. “Come on, Hen. Let’s you to shore.”

Henry nods weakly and lets Pez drag him to shore. As soon as he feels the sand on his legs, he tries to go upright like he’s seen the people do before. But his legs are weak and he’s not used to maintaining his balance like this, so he topples over into the water. He laughs at it because––despite everything––he has legs. He doesn’t even care if he doesn’t know how to use them. He’s a human.

After a few more tries, he manages to stand. He turns back to Pez and Bea with a smile on his face, but the grin falls as soon as he sees their forlorn expressions. He frowns at them and cocks his head to the side.

“You shouldn’t have trusted him, darling,” Pez tells him. “He was trying to kill you.”

Henry shakes his head and gestures to his legs.

Bea raises an eyebrow at him. “Henry, just say something.”

He shakes his head and points to his throat.

Both of their eyes widen. “You traded your voice?” Bea asks, horrified.

Henry hangs his head. He looks up at Bea apologetically and gestures vaguely to the shore and then to his heart.

Bea looks close to crying. “Oh, Henry. I––I know. I’m going to miss you, though. But you deserve to be happy, okay?”

He nods and crouches down to give her a hug. Pez jumps in and wraps his arms around both of them.

“We’ll come see you, okay? Every day,” Pez tells him.

Henry nods enthusiastically and they all pull apart. Henry stands again and admires himself. His legs are long––longer than he would have expected. It takes him a few minutes to manage to get himself to the shore and on the sand. He lets the sand squeeze through his toes and he silently squeals in delight at the feeling. The sand is warm under his skin and feels amazing. More amazing than it has before, for sure. He reaches down to grab a fistful of it but notices something…off.

He peers down between his legs and finds some sort of thing there. He raises a curious eyebrow and looks at his fingers, comparing them to the strange thing residing between his legs. It looks a bit like a finger in shape, but it’s longer and thicker and when he concentrates on moving it, nothing happens. What possible use could humans have for this, he wonders. He notices, also, some sort of sac under the thing. He reaches out to touch the strange, cylindrical, skin-covered thing and the feeling sends a delightful shock through his body. He looks to Pez and Bea expectantly, hoping that one of them will know what this is, but they just shrug at him.

He touches it again and it starts to stiffen under his touch. He pulls his hand away, absolutely terrified that the thing is growing before his very eyes. Surely this must be some kind of mistake, right? Some error that Richards made while casting the spell? He decides to worry about it later when he’s safe with Alex. For now, though, he needs to find something to help him blend in with the humans. If he recalls correctly, Alex was wearing something. There was something covering his legs and chest. Henry wonders if bare chests are fine for humans like they are for merpeople or if he should cover his whole body in something. He’ll figure it out. For now, he’s too excited to do much but smile and gawk at his legs.

He’s never been so happy. For the first time in his life, he feels like he might be one step closer to figuring out who he really is.


	6. Thanks, Mom

They give up when they get hungry and go back to shore. The unfruitful journey makes Alex’s anxiety grow exponentially––he’s shaking with it when they dock. It’s the worst feeling and he knows that it makes him even more hellish company than normal. So, to save everyone from having to deal with him when he’s like this, he tells June and Cash to head back to the palace so he can take some time to sort through the mess of thoughts in his head. June looks hesitant to leave him––always wanting to protect him however she can––but tears herself away when he shoots her a miserable, pleading look.

As soon as he’s alone, he lies on his back. The ship feels familiar and sturdy beneath him as it rocks gently in the water. He closes his eyes and puts his hands under his head. Fuck, he’s always so at peace out here. The sun smiles down on him and kisses his cheeks like it's happy to see him. The waves rock against the belly of the boat like they’re trying to reach him and engulf him in a salty hug. When he’s alone out here––when it’s just him and the sea––he feels almost complete. The tugging is still here but it’s quieter than it is when he’s in the palace. The waves drown it out and bring him peace.

One of his hands finds its way down his loose shirt and wraps itself around his necklace. His thumb runs along the jagged edge of the key as he lets out a shaky breath. The kid he was when he fashioned this necklace would surely be disappointed and ashamed of the man he is today.

He stands with one hand around the chain and squeezes his eyes shut. He started to tug at the chain, hoping to snap it off and send it tumbling beneath the expanse of blue before him. He doesn’t deserve to––

Splash.

His eyes open at the sound.

Splash.

It sounds like it’s coming from the beach.

He tucks his necklace back into his shirt and practically jumps off the boat as he scrambles towards the beach. The tugging feeling is back full force and it’s pulling him towards the sound, though he isn’t entirely sure what he’s hoping to find. Maybe he thinks it’s his savior again, back to take the credit for saving his life and to ride off into the sunset with him. As his feet hit the sand, he gets nervous that it might not be a person or something at all. Creatures of all sorts get washed up here all the time so it seems entirely possible that he’s about to walk right into something that he has no idea how to handle. He tries to shake off the doubt and fear and uncertainty as he slows his pace and walks more calmly towards the sound. He looks to the water but doesn’t find anything there. He’s about to just give up and go home when he hears something behind him.

He turns and finds a man––roughly his age––lying on a rock with some sort of fabric tied around his waist. Alex steps closer, a bit blinded by the sun, and sees that it’s not just some random man––it’s them. It has to be. It has to be the one that saved him. He feels something inside of him go nervous and warm at the sight of this man with his butter-blond hair and piercing blue eyes that make Alex think of the ocean on a sunny day. His eyes widen as he steps closer and closer to the man––who’s smiling at him enthusiastically, almost like he feels everything Alex feels, too. They’re so close to each other now. Alex can feel the heat radiating off him and he can see the shine in his eyes and his heart is pounding erratically in his chest and any word he could possibly have to say is getting caught in his throat and he thinks he might cry because, Jesus, it’s him.

“You––” Alex starts to say, reaching up for him. The man’s grin widens and he holds his hands out to Alex for him to take in his own. “You’re the one. The one I’ve been looking for.”

The man opens his mouth to speak and Alex eagerly waits to hear him speak––to get some sort of confirmation that this is, in fact, who he’s been obsessing over since this morning. But no words come. The man hands his head like he was expecting a different outcome and Alex can’t help but agree because if he can’t speak that means he’s not the one who made Alex really feel something this morning. He’s not the one that gave Alex hope that there might be someone out there that’s right for him.

“You can’t speak?” Alex asks, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

The man must pick up on it, though, because he frowns and looks down at their hands. Alex instantly lets go of him and runs a hand through his curls instead.

“Are you hurt? Were you in a shipwreck?”

The man shakes his head.

“Do you need help?”  
The man cocks his head to the side for a moment before nodding enthusiastically. Alex is angry that he’s not who he thought he was and he’s angry that he can’t speak. He doesn’t like the silent types, even though he knows it’s probably not this guy’s fault that he can’t speak. Still, though. The fact that Alex is going to just have to assume what he’s saying or just ask yes or no questions the whole time makes him itch a bit.

“Okay, well, are you from here? Do you know how to get home?”

He shakes his head.

Alex bites his lip to keep himself from screaming. He does not want to have to deal with this bullshit right now. Why can’t the world give him a fucking break? He’s already got enough on his plate with the whole finding someone to marry thing. He really doesn’t need to have to be responsible for whatever happens to this random dude basically naked on the fucking beach. A private beach, he wants to tell him. What right does this guy have to be on the Presidential Beach?

“Great. Awesome,” he groans. The man looks at him sadly like he’s sorry for being such a bother. Alex wants to agree with him. “Look, I have a lot going on right now, so I can’t really help you. I can take you up to the palace and you can talk––or mime, I guess––to my mom about how to get you home, sound good?”

The man nods and tries to stand up but instantly topples over and into Alex’s arms. He didn’t even mean to reach out to catch him so the lack of coordination and the guy’s weight sends them both toppling into the sand. The man is on top of Alex, pinning him to the sand with his chest. Alex tries to wiggle free but the man reaches out his hand and brushes Alex’s jaw with delicate fingertips. Alex stares up at his face, unsure what else to really fucking do in such an awkward position, and sees that his lips are moving. He’s trying to speak but Alex is no good at understanding lips without words. He swears, just for a moment, that the man is mouthing, “How do I love thee?” He brushes the feeling aside and pushes the guy off of him, making him roll back over into the sand. Alex coughs, stands, and reaches out an arm to help him up. The man takes it and wordlessly, of course, lets Alex lead him up the slope and to the palace.

As soon as they make it onto solid ground, Zahra is there to greet him with her arms crossed and a sour but also somehow bored look on her face. She looks at Alex, then at the guy, then back at Alex like he has some sort of enlightening explanation for all of this.

“He’s lost,” Alex tells her, gesturing to the blond.

Zahra looks dubious. “And?”

“And I thought my mom could help him. You know, use her presidential power to get him home. As soon as possible, preferably.”

He doesn’t even look over to see if the guy is offended. Alex kind of hopes he is.

Zahra rolls her eyes. “You seriously don’t understand what it means to be a president, do you?” She lets them in, though, and takes them to meet with Alex’s mom. He’s hopeful that he’ll be able to introduce the two of them and just leave to go mope around in his rooms until it’s time for dinner. He could do with a good mope. Maybe he’ll get June to play some sad music for him on her guitar and he can just be miserable for a while about this stupid waste of a day.

It looks like his mom is finishing up some kind of meeting with one of the staff.

“I don’t care, Henry, just––”

The blond guy starts tugging violently on Alex’s sleeve. Alex yanks his arm away and glares at him. “What?”

The man rolls his eyes and points to the guy, Henry, that his mom is talking to. If Alex remembers correctly, Henry is one of the catering staff. Is the guy trying to tell Alex that he’s hungry?

“Henry? What about him?” Alex asks.

The guy points to himself, then at Henry, then back at himself.

Alex has no idea what the fuck he’s trying to say.

“For fuck’s sake, Alex,” Zahra interjects in a harsh whisper, “he’s trying to say his name is ‘Henry.’ Now shut up and let me do the talking.”

She walks over to his mom and they start talking about something in hushed voices that Alex can’t make out since they’ve got the long, mahogany table between them.

“Is your name Henry?” Alex asks the guy.

The guy nods and smiles at him.

Okay, well, that’ll make it a bit easier for him. Better for him to have a name than to just keep getting referred to as “the mute” or “the one with noodle legs” or maybe “butter bitch” in Alex’s head. He’s so lost in glaring at him, at this Henry, that he doesn’t even register his mom walking towards him. Catering Henry is also gone, somehow, and Alex wonders how long he was shooting dagger at butter bitch.

“Sugar,” his mom begins.

On reflex, Alex looks up at her immediately. “Yeah?”

She smiles apologetically and extends her arm. Alex thinks that she’s going to put her hand on his shoulder and comfort him, but she doesn’t. Instead, her hand falls on Henry’s shoulder. Alex feels betrayed and rejected so he stares daggers at both of them while silently fuming.

“Do you know where you live?” she asks Henry. Sugar. Alex wants to punch Henry’s stupid fucking face.

Henry nods. Alex fights the urge to take him by the shoulders and shake him violently and demand to know where and how to get him back there.

“Okay, do you know how to get there?”

He nods reluctantly.

“Do you feel safe there? Do you want us to take you home?”

He shakes his head.

Alex’s mom smiles sympathetically at Henry and puts her arm around Alex’s back, letting him know that he needs to follow her. He straightens his spine. “Make yourself comfortable, okay? I’m just gonna talk to my son for a minute.”

Henry grins and nods as Alex is dragged across the room to where Zahra stands with her arms folded across her chest and an annoying I-know-something-you-don’t-know smile on her face. As soon as his mom lets go of him, Alex puts his hands on his hips and glares between the two of them.

“What?” he demands.

“I need you to look after him, okay?” his mom says.

Alex gapes at her for a moment. “Wh––Why?” he sputters, indignant and stubborn. There’s no fucking way that he’s looking after Henry. He seems untrustworthy at best, a complete fuckwad at worst. And there’s the fact that he can’t speak which, even though Alex knows is mean, makes his blood boil. The fact that he’s tried to speak means that he can or at least could at some point. He thinks that Henry’s faking it which makes this whole situation a lot more annoying.

“Because he’s experienced some kind of trauma and he needs our help.”

Alex raises an eyebrow. “So you’re gonna let him stay here? In the palace? The heart of the fucking nation?”

They both look at him like he is simultaneously the worst human on the planet and also the most annoying person they’ve ever had to deal with. He doesn’t fucking care right now, though. They’re the ones that are being ridiculous.

“Alex, he needs a safe place to stay.”

“But why here?” he groans. “He could––he could be a spy.”

His mom rolls her eyes and Zahra snorts. “He’s wearing an old sail and he can’t even talk. Who exactly is he spying on us for?”

“That’s what he wants you to think. That he’s all innocent and sad. He’s probably an assassin. He’s probably going to murder me in my sleep.”

Zahra looks over at Henry and Alex does, too. Henry’s seated at the table––on the table, actually––running a fork through his hair with a dopey grin on his face. He smiles at the three of them and waves enthusiastically.

“Yeah,” Zahra drawls, “he looks really dangerous.”

Alex huffs and rolls his eyes. He opens his mouth to protest some more but his mom raises a hand to cut him off while shooting him one of her patented “if you speak right now I might disown you” looks. He presses his lips into a thin line and waits for her to speak.

“You’re gonna play nice and that’s an order, sugar. You will show him around the palace and the nation every day until we figure out what to do with him. Consider this a gift, okay? Maybe you can even make a friend. It might be good for you to have a friend.”

Alex snorts. “I have friends,” he argues.

Zahra raises a challenging eyebrow. “Oh, really? Who?”

“Jun––”

“June is your sister and doesn’t count,” his mom says.

He rolls his eyes. “Fine. Liam’s my friend.”

“You haven’t spoken to Liam in years,” Zahra counters.

“Nora,” he supplies.

His mom rolls his eyes. “Honey, you used to date her. You need a friend who isn’t related to you, who you haven’t stopped talking to, and who isn’t someone you’re interested in romantically.”

He huffs and groans in frustration. “I don’t need a fucking friend and I’m not fucking showing him around.”

“If you show him around,” his mom starts, obviously choosing her words carefully, “I’ll let you take the boat out as much as you want for a whole week.”

Alex freezes and thinks about it for a moment. “Unsupervised?”

His mom rolls his eyes. “Yes, fine. Unsupervised.”

He grins. “Fine,” he says, extending his hand to shake on it. “I’m gonna bromance the shit out of that motherfucker."


	7. In His Own Skin

Henry is taken to his own room. It’s massive––bigger than the ones he’s used to in his own castle. It’s brighter, too, and up a “flight” of something that the woman who showed him up here called “stairs.” The woman, Amy, giggled at him when he had to figure out how to walk on the strange, rectangular objects to get up here. She was kind and helped him, though, explaining that he should hold the ornate railing to help guide him up. Once he held the railing, it all got a lot easier and he only almost fell once. Now he’s in his room in something called a bath and someone is putting something that smells like lavender in his hair and scrubbing his body with a dried sponge. There are bubbles in the strange thing, too, but they’re not bubbles like he’s ever seen before. They’re entirely white and they smell amazing and when he touches them they burst abruptly and land on the tip of his nose. He’s got half a mind to ask the people here with him about the strange thing between his legs, but they don’t seem weirded out by it at all. In fact, they ignore it entirely. Maybe it’s normal? Maybe they’ve seen one before? He hasn’t got a clue, but the water is warm and the hands-on his head are perfect and feel so nice in his hair.

“You just relax,” one of the people tells him––the one who’s got his hands in Henry’s hair. “We’ll get you nice and clean and then all dressed for dinner.”

Henry nods. Dinner does sound good. He wonders what humans eat, though. His own diet has been pretty terrible recently since he started actively boycotting dinners with Philip and his grandmother, so any kind of food sounds pretty nice. Walking around, he’s noticed, makes him very tired and hungry. He’s in disbelief that people are capable of just…walking around. All fucking day. Do they never tire? Do their feet never ache? God, Henry’s never exerted this much energy in his life. He feels a bit like David must feel with his big body and tiny little fins. A foot, compared to the size of a humans body, is certainly not large enough to maintain any real balance. Henry’s fins were perfectly proportionate to the rest of him and worked in tandem with his tail to move him from place to place and through the water like a pro, but his legs and feet don’t seem to cooperate very well. He doesn’t understand how he can bend his leg without behind his foot. He doesn’t understand that he can bend and straighten his foot at all––it makes no sense. How many years does it take for a human to learn how to use their legs? Surely it must take ages.

It’s already worth it, though. He’s gotten to touch Alex––really touch him––and be by his side. He’s learned that Alex smells like sandalwood and coconuts (he learned this when someone offered to make him smell the same way to which he shook his head because it’s Alex’s scent, not his). He’s learned that Alex’s eyes have a fleck of gold in them that you can really notice when the sun hits him just right. He’s learned that Alex is warmer than Henry knew someone could be. But, unfortunately, he’s also learned that Alex seems to really hate him. Henry doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve this treatment, but he wants to fix it. He feels terrible for hurting Alex. For making him so upset. All Henry wants to do is wrap his arms around Alex and pull him close and keep him safe from everything that’s ever made him sad.

He has time to fix it, though. And he will fix it. He has to fix it. He’ll try again at dinner tonight. He’ll make sure he looks good and smiley and he’ll woo Alex until Alex kisses him and they can live happily ever after. There’s more than just true love riding on this––this kiss determines Henry’s future. If Alex doesn’t kiss him, he’ll have to back to the sea and spend the rest of his life as Richard’s puppet. He supposes there could be worse fates, like spending eternity under his family’s thumb, but he’d really just love to have the ability to live his own life. He knows that the idea that he and Alex will fall in love in three days––especially when Henry can’t even speak––is ridiculous. He knows that getting Alex to stop hating him will be a challenge. But he has hope. Alex doesn’t need to be in love with him for the magic to work––he just needs to kiss him. Just one kiss. That’s all he wants. If they kiss and fall in love then Henry would be very happy with that outcome. If they kiss and just become friends, that’d be great, too. All Henry wants is a life here with Alex there in some capacity. He really hopes he isn’t asking for too much.

A woman comes to him after his bath. It’s the girl that Pez liked––the one they assumed was Alex’s sister. She smiles at him when she enters and instantly engulfs him in a big hug that he quickly returns.

“I’m June,” she tells him, extending her hand.

Henry takes it and shakes it. He opens his mouth, forgetting that he can’t speak, then quickly closes it again.

“You’re Henry, right?”

He nods at her.

She smiles at him and he can’t help but smile back. She looks so much like Alex that it’s unreal. Henry looks hardly similar to his siblings––both of them have darker hair, different eyes, and different face shapes. But June and Alex really look related. He can see what Pez likes about her and, if he were at all attracted to women, he’d probably like her, too. She’s got Alex’s bright, happy eyes and his dark hair. Her eyebrows are thinner and her lips are a bit bigger, but she’s very beautiful. He wonders how close they are in age.

“How are you liking it here so far?”

Henry gestures to the room where he had his bath and gives her a thumb’s up.

“Oh, you got a bath? I bet that was nice––the attendants are very gentle.”

He nods in agreement and sighs contently at the memory of those hands in his hair.

June laughs at him but it seems kind, not mean. “Well, I thought I could help you pick what to wear. We always do nicer dinners when we have guests.”

She shows him over to a set of doors and opens them. Henry finds himself looking into a smaller room that’s full of colorful pieces of cloth of various sizes and shapes. He runs over to a long blue one and holds it up. It shimmers in the light––it reminds him of his tail.

June smiles at him from the doorway. “That’s a dress,” she explains. “I’m not sure it’ll fit you, but you can try to wear it if you’d like.”

Henry shakes his head, hands it to June, then points at her.

She catches on quickly. “You want me to wear it?”

He nods and claps his hands excitedly. He likes the thought of her in a dress like that. She’ll look like a gorgeous mermaid which might make him feel a bit more at ease.

“Fine, I’ll wear it, but you have to wear something that matches.”

He nods and watches as she enters the room and starts looking at all of the cloth to find something for him. She hands him three different items: something white and then two blue things. They’re a bit lighter than the color of her dress, but he likes them.

“This is a suit,” she tells him, showing him the two blue items. She gestures to one of them and then to his legs. “These are the pants and this,” she says, gesturing to the other one, “is the jacket. Then you wear the white shirt under the jacket. Is this okay or do you want something else? Suits are normally what men wear, but I’m sure we could find you a nice skirt or dress or something if you’d like.”

Henry shakes his head and tugs on the suit and shirt, holding them close to his chest. He’s seen Alex wear pants and a shirt, so he knows that this is probably the best bet. He doesn’t want to stand out or anything––he just wants Alex to think he’s normal. That he totally knows what a suit is and how to put on pants and that he doesn’t need help getting dressed. He wants Alex to think that he’s just another human––not a merman with no clue what he’s doing up here. So, if Alex wears pants, Henry is going to wear pants, too. June has to help him but they manage to get him dressed in a few minutes. June guides him over to a mirror and…

Henry is speechless. He supposes he’s sort of speechless at all times now, but he wouldn’t even be able to form a coherent thought if he tried right now. He takes in the sight of himself in the blue suit and he finds himself wanting to cry about it. His hair is dry and looks better than it ever has before. His eyes look brighter, probably because the blue of the suit complement them so well. He lifts his leg, just to see the individual pant leg move with it. It’s something he could never do as a merman, but something he’d always imagined. This, he realizes, is what he’s always wanted to look like. He’s still getting used to the feeling of fabric on his body but this is how he’s always wanted to present himself. His chest isn’t bare and he’s wearing normal human things. He’s got something called “shoes” on his feet that make it easier for him to walk because his feet don’t hurt when he steps on objects that might be painful. He’s got legs and feet and toes and he’s human now and he really wants to cry about it because he never thought he’d get here. And, well, now that he’s here, he realizes that this is where he’s meant to be. This is who he is inside––a human. It’s no wonder he’s never felt like he’s belonged down in the sea. He’s been denying himself the pleasure of feeling comfortable in his own skin––of being in a place and a body that makes him truly happy.

He starts tearing up a bit at the heavy realization of it all and June sets her head on his shoulder and looks at the pair of them in the mirror.

“You’re so beautiful, Henry,” she tells him.

Henry looks at her with a raised eyebrow. He wonders if Alex will find him beautiful, too.

“Oh,” June says lifting her head away from him and looking him dead in the eye.

He’s confused.

“You like him, don’t you?”

Henry tries to make himself look confused like he has no idea who she might be referring to.

She rolls her eyes but she’s still smiling. “Oh my God, this is perfect. You totally like Alex and you want him to like you, too.”

Henry decides that it’s useless to even try to deny it. He lets his shoulders sag as he nods.

“Aw, stop being so sad about it. I want to help you. Can I help you? Please?”

Henry thinks about it for a moment before nodding. He decides that he’ll need all the help he can get at this rate. June squeals in delight and hugs him again. It’s quite nice to be hugged like this, especially by someone that doesn’t even really know him. The enthusiasm makes him feel special and loved and less scared to be here.

“Okay, so, I’ll make sure to ask you questions at dinner. Does that sound all right? I’ll only do ones that help Alex get a better sense of who you are as a person––nothing too deep or scary.”

Henry looks at her for a moment, baffled. He wonders how she seems to just understand him without him even saying a word––how she seems to read him so well. He wishes he had that ability. Maybe reading people is her magic. Do humans have magic?

“Oh,” she exclaims, bending down and digging through her old clothes. She pulls out a necklace with some sort of beautiful stone tied onto the end of it. She slips it over his head and tucks it behind his shirt. “This is my opal necklace,” she explains. “I’ll have to make you some with better, more pointed stones, but this should help a little. It’s supposed to magnify your traits and promote positive emotions.”

Henry grins at her to thank her. It’s such a thoughtful gift and he only hopes that it will bring him some luck with Alex at dinner.

June flashes him another smile and guides him downstairs. He’s so nervous that he doesn’t think he could speak even if he wanted to, so he’s thankful that June doesn’t say anything, either. Going downstairs is a bit tricky and certainly a lot harder to manage than going up, but June helps him and catches him when he trips a bit on the first step. The palace is massive and Henry knows that he’ll never be able to learn all of its twists and turns, even if he’s here for more than three days. It’s thrilling to know that there’s so much to explore, though. He knows the ins and outs of his castle like the back of his hand by now so the thought of never really knowing a place in its entirety is very exciting. There’s a whole mess of land outside the palace walls, too. He’s seen the buildings from the water and he knows that there must be more that he just hasn’t even seen yet. He hopes that Alex forgives him for whatever he’s done and takes him outside tomorrow so he can see the humans and do the things that they do. There’s so much that he wants to learn and he has, possibly, so little time to experience all of it.

The dining room is massive. It’s decadent and colorful and Henry is awestruck as soon as he steps into the room. There’s a magnificent table in the center with countless chairs around it and amazing displays of human food on top of it. It’s so bright in here, too. He wonders how humans manage to get so many balls of light inside a room––what kind of magic they have to use to create such things. June gives his hand a reassuring squeeze and leads him to the table where Ellen, a girl, and a man are already seated. There’s no sign of Alex, though, which makes Henry feel pointless and hollow. Taking his seat, he starts to wonder if Alex is going to come at all or if he’s gotten dressed up for nothing. Well, he supposes it’s _not_ nothing––he loves how he looks. He’d dress like this every day if he could.

As soon as he sits, Ellen introduces him to the other two people at the table. He learns that the man, Leo, is her husband (which confuses him because he looks nothing like Alex, nor does Ellen) and that the girl, Nora, is both the “Vice President’s granddaughter” and Alex and June’s best friend. He hasn’t got a clue what a “vice president is” but he doesn’t know how to ask and he’s also afraid that he’ll sound stupid for not knowing. Maybe June will explain it to him later since she understands him––since she can somehow just know what’s going on his head.

“Where’s Alex?” June asks. She’s seated to Henry’s side, thankfully, so he feels a bit more at ease. 

“He should be down soon. You know how he is,” Ellen smiles.

Henry furrows his brow, totally lost. _No,_ he wants to say, _I_ don’t _know. How is Alex? What is he like? Why does he hate me?_

The door opens and suddenly Alex is there in a suit and a hesitant smile on his face and Henry finds himself frozen––resigned to staring at the most beautiful human he’s ever seen with his mouth hanging open and his eyes glazed over in wonder. He swallows as Alex sits directly across from him but his throat is dry and he feels like he can’t breathe. June squeezes his hand under the table and he forces himself to take a deep breath.

In.

Three days.

Out.

He can do this.

In.

Just one kiss.

Out.

It will be so much more than a kiss.

In.

Well, it’ll be _everything_ , won’t it?

Out.

Because it’s _him_.


	8. Not In the Corridor!

Alex is confused. Though he wasn’t sure what to expect from this ridiculous dinner, he never would have imagined this: Henry and June, sitting next to each together, in matching outfits. The sight of them makes him angry if he’s being honest. How has June somehow already managed to get Henry to like her? Are they _dating_? Henry can’t even _talk_ , so how has June managed this?

“So y’all are dating?” he asks as he takes his regular seat. From directly across the table, Henry frowns at him.

“Alexander,” his mom warns, eyes narrow and threatening. He pointedly ignores her, eager to get to the bottom of this. He focuses his gaze on Henry and June. Upon further examination, he realizes that each of them has a hand under the table. The sight makes his blood boil. How _dare_ this smug bastard touch Alex’s sister under the table at a fucking family dinner?

“We’re not dating,” June assures him.

Alex rolls his eyes and huffs. “Then what’s up with the outfits?”

“I let Henry pick them,” she explains. “I think he likes blue.”

Give the fact that Henry is smiling sheepishly––and the fact that his hand has now moved on top of the table––Alex decides to give them both the benefit of the doubt. Even if he doesn’t trust Henry, he trusts June with his life. She’d tell him if something was going on. Plus: he did promise to bromance the shit out of this guy. He may as well play nice.

“It, uh, looks nice,” he says. “The blue. It, um, brings out your eyes?”

God, maybe his mom was right about him needing more friends. Has he somehow completely forgotten how to speak to guys his age? Jesus fucking Christ. Maybe he should talk to Henry like he did to Liam––no, that’s not good, either. He doesn’t need or want another Liam in his life––one Liam is surely enough.

Henry seems to like it, though. His cheeks get pink and he looks down like he can’t even bring himself to make eye contact.

“That’s so sweet,” June gushes, nudging Henry with her shoulder. “Did you hear that?”

Henry grins and nods eagerly.

Okay, admittedly, Henry seems to have grown into himself a bit more since Alex found him. He seems more lively now––more comfortable. It’s thanks to June, probably.

“So, Henry,” his mom says, snapping Alex back to reality. “What do you like to do?”

Henry opens his mouth, remembers himself, and closes it again. Instead of speaking (which Alex is pretty sure he can do, despite this act), he puts his hands together and opens them. Alex frowns at the motion, totally confused.

“Oh, you like to read?” June asks.

“How the _fuck_ does that look like reading?” Alex demands. By his side, Nora snorts. He glares at her. “Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re so oblivious. It’s _adorable_.”

She goes to pinch his cheek but he bats her hand away. “Shut up,” he groans. He turns back to Henry. “What do you like to read?”

“You have to ask yes or no questions,” Nora chides. “Or something he can mime.”

“I––ugh, fine. Do you like biographies?”

Henry shakes his head.

“Non-fiction?”

Another shake.

“Historical fiction?”

Another shake. Alex groans.

“I bet he’s a romantic,” June sing-songs.

“Oh, I totally see that. I bet he likes poetry,” Nora agrees.

When Henry grins and nods in agreement, Alex is speechless. _Flabbergasted_. How do June and Nora just know things about Henry? Without actual words, Alex is lost. Reading body language, facial cues, and fucking pantomime have never been Alex’s forte. He’s always loved words and language––loved it so much that he learned his dad’s native tongue. He relies on words. Craves them. He can’t handle silence. It makes him bouncy.

“So…poetry?” Alex asks. Poetry has never really been something of interest to him. School taught him enough to know, generally, what he’s talking about, but he’s never actively wanted to read it. He’s never purchased a book of poetry.

Henry nods frantically like the fact that he likes poetry is some big deal. Something important.

As Alex tries to figure out what to say, the doors burst open and the waitstaff enters with big, silver platters in hand. Even from across the room, he has high hopes that whatever they’re about to unveil is going to be delicious. It smells so good and he’s so hungry. He smiles as the staff sets down plates of––

Fuck.

It’s fish.

How is it allowed to smell so good but taste so bad? It’s good every once in a while, but this is the third night in a row. It’s times like these that he (especially) misses his dad’s cooking. God, what he wouldn’t give for some tamales or elotes right now.

When he looks across the table, Henry is staring at his plate like the fish murdered his entire family in cold blood.

“You don’t like fish?” Alex asks.

Henry shakes his head.

Alex chuckles. “Me neither.”

“Alex, you should take him to that little place you like in town,” June suggests, looking far too smug for coming up with the idea. Oh, she’s got some kind of plan, doesn’t she? Alex is desperate to figure out what it is.

Well, he did promise to bromance the shit out of Henry, so why not? “Sounds good. Henry, you wanna get some non-sea-spawned food?”

Henry nods excitedly and Alex can’t help but smile at him. When Henry nods and smiles with such enthusiasm, it’s _almost_ like he actually has a personality.

He stands and looks to his mom for permission. “Is that okay, mom?”

“Sure, sugar. Just take Cash or Zahra with you?”

Alex nods and makes his way to the double doors, expecting Henry to be right at his heels. As it turns out, Henry is still seated at the table. Alex rolls his eyes and waves him over. “Come on,” he urges.

Henry’s eyes widen and he leaps out of his chair with such force that he nearly topples over. In the name of bromance, Alex holds back his laughter.

He leads Henry out of the dining room and upstairs to change into something more appropriate.

“Okay, so let’s change and meet back here in five minutes,” Alex offers at the top of the stairs. Henry nods so Alex goes off towards his own room which is in the opposite wing of the palace as the guest chambers. Due to the locations of the rooms, he’s surprised to see that Henry is still following him. When he’s at his door and can still feel Henry’s presence behind him, he spins around and shoots him a glare.

Henry, it seems, is already undressing himself. In the middle of the corridor.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Alex gasps, grabbing Henry’s wrists and holding them in place so he can’t undo his pants like he was reaching to do. His shirt is already undone and hanging open, exposing his pale chest.

Alex…well, Alex really, _really_ wants to be repulsed. Indifferent, even. Because the sight of Henry’s lean, somehow muscular chest shouldn’t make his mouth water and his heart race in his chest. It shouldn’t make him want to reach out and run a finger down the hard, distinct lines there. It shouldn’t make him feel anything because it’s Henry’s chest––the Henry that can’t talk, who showed up out of nowhere with bright eyes and a big smile.

So he shakes the feeling off and disregards Henry’s pink, parted lips and half-lidded eyes. He releases his grip and takes a step away.

“Change in your room,” he says, afraid that the slight tremble in his voice is giving this strange fit of passion away entirely. He clears his throat. “Meet at the stairs in five minutes.”

As soon as Alex is in his room––behind a closed and locked door––he closes his eyes and focuses on taking deep breaths. Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with him? He doesn’t even _like_ Henry. Like, as a human being. Henry annoys the everliving fuck out of him. Of everyone Alex would even possibly consider marrying or dating, Henry’s at the bottom. No, he’s not even on the list. Despite his appearance, he’s not Alex’s mysterious savior. He may like poetry––maybe even the same kind as the savior––but he can’t recite it. And maybe Alex is being shallow for focusing so much on the fact that Henry can’t speak, but he doesn’t really care. Alex can’t handle silences. They drive him up the fucking wall.

He gets dressed quickly, deciding to put his mind-fuck on the back burner for now. He can figure all of this out later. For now, though, all he needs to focus on is the insane amount of barbecue that he’s about to consume.

When he gets to the top of the grand staircase, Henry is already there and dressed in casual pants and a summer short-sleeved button-down.

“You look nice,” Alex says, honestly surprised that Henry managed to throw an outfit together. If he remembers correctly, just hours ago, Henry tried brushing his hair with a fork. So, give that information, his outfit is really quite an accomplishment. The colors go well together and everything. He’s even wearing shoes.

Henry bushes and gestures to Alex.

“What?”

Henry gestures to him and shoots him a thumb’s up.

“Oh, are you saying I look nice, too?”

Henry smiles and nods.

Alex can’t help but smile back. “Thanks. So, you ready to get your barbecue on?”


	9. Barbewhat?

As it turns out, Henry is not at all prepared for whatever “barbecue” means. They don’t really do the whole eating out thing in Britlantis. He understands the concept and he knows that other kingdoms do––Pez has told him all about it––but such things are not in the Queen’s taste. Large social gatherings are something that she’s tried to cut back on as much as possible unless those gatherings happen to be celebrating her. So restaurants are very much out of the question in Britlantis. And a human restaurant…well, Henry doesn’t even know what to do with himself when they finally arrive.

Alex helps him out of something he referred to as a “carriage” that was led by some sort of furry beast with dark, flat feet. Then Alex takes him down a stony road that’s surrounded by buildings on either side. Cash follows them over, staying far enough behind them to give them space but close enough that they’re protected. He’s like a more jovial Shaan, Henry realizes.

There are people milling about everywhere and Henry feels awed and speechless by the sight of it. They’re smiling and laughing and some of them are even _dancing_. With their _legs_ There’s music being played by a group of dirty looking gentlemen with instruments that Henry’s seen variations of below the waves, but they never sounded quite like this. Even Bea’s music can’t compare to the happiness that blooms in his chest as soon as he hears the music floating through the hair. He’s got half a mind to drag Alex away from whatever he’s racing off towards and make him dance in the square with all of these people. But Alex seems dead set on getting to this “barbecue” place, and Henry quite likes the air of determination about him, so he’ll let it slide.

Alex stops at the back of a massive line and turns to Henry with a smile on his face. Henry can’t help but smile back. Alex’s smile is infectious. He couldn’t fight it if he wanted to.

“We’re here,” Alex tells him, gesturing to the sea of people.

Henry frowns. He thought they were getting food. He’s quite hungry, too. He would have really enjoyed some food.

Alex rolls his eyes. “It’s a _line_ ,” he says, like Henry’s a moron that can’t deduce that much. “Even first sons have to wait in line for barbecue.”

Henry tries to chuckle––he goes through the motions of it––but no noise comes out. He’s afraid he comes off looking like he’s just sniffed something horrible. Alex seems to get the gist, though, because he claps him on the back and laughs with him.

“What would you know about famous people waiting in lines?”

Henry tries to create a crown on his head out of thin air to show Alex that he does, in fact, know an awful lot about what it’s like to live life as a pseudo-celebrity. It’s fascinating to him how much Alex seems to enjoy it, though. Henry’s noticed people grinning at him and waving and Alex just laps it up. Henry can’t imagine enjoying all of that attention––it’s why he never wears his circlet unless he’s directly ordered to do so. He’s more than happy to try and go through life as a nameless merman.

“You…wear hats?” Alex asks with his brows furrowed in concentration.

Henry rolls his eyes and points to Alex then himself.

“You’re…me? But wearing a hat?”

Henry silently sighs and takes Alex’s hand in his own, moving it so Alex’s palm is up. With his index finger, he draws a crown on Alex’s skin and waits for him to figure it out. There’s a moment where Alex is very visibly trying to piece it together before recognition overtakes his features.

“You’re…you’re a prince?”

Henry nods and beams, so happy that Alex finally understands what he means.

Unfortunately, the news seems to have upset Alex. His face becomes dark and serious like he’s solving some sort of complex equation. “Why did you leave?” he asks him.

It’s not what Henry was expecting at all and he certainly can’t tell him the full reason. They’ve just started bonding and Henry refuses to ruin whatever they have going on right now by telling Alex how he really feels. It would certainly end in disaster. He’s certain of it. For once, he’s quite glad he can’t speak. If he could speak, he would surely open his blasted mouth and ruin the delicate balance they’ve struck here. Because Alex looks positively radiant with the dim light hitting his face just so, because Alex’s eyes are wide and curious, because his mouth is hanging slightly open and Henry wants nothing more than to just lean forward and brush their lips together. Because Alex is so beautiful––the most beautiful thing Henry’s ever seen––and holding all of these feelings in is making Henry feel sick to his stomach. If only Alex could know how much Henry wanted to lay himself bare before him––reveal all his secrets and have Alex know him completely in a way that he’s never let anyone know him before. If only Alex could know that it was Henry that saved him, that recited poetry for him, that risked losing everything just to hear his voice and see him up close.

But he can’t say all that. And Alex can’t know. And Henry can’t surge forward and connect their lips.

He resigns himself to an elaborate pantomime that can’t even begin to capture the sadness he felt trapped below the waves. That can’t begin to illustrate how much freer he feels here. How the mere thought of returning to the life he knew makes him feel hallowed out and empty in a way he never knew possible. How deeply he loathes his grandmother and his brother and how torn up he feels about his father’s death. And Alex tries his best to follow, but Henry knows that it’s no use. He needs language. He misses it dearly.

“I don’t think I got a lot of that,” Alex sighs, stepping up as the line moves up. “But I might have gotten the basics? So, like, you had someone…bigger than you…your dad, maybe, who made you sad. But there were two people bigger than you so maybe both of your parents made you sad? And you felt trapped?”

It’s closer to the truth than Henry expected him to be capable of, so he nods slightly and tries to use various nearby people to express age and gender without words. _My brother_ , he wants to say, _is a cruel monster. And my grandmother is an unforgiving tyrant_.

“Oh,” Alex says, his eyes widening, “your brother? And your grandmother? Is that right? I’m pretty sure I’m right.”

Henry nods enthusiastically and grins at him, proud that Alex is finally starting to understand him. Alex extends his arm for a high-five and Henry obliges, trying not to think about how he wishes the touches between them could be more tender and loving. He doesn’t want to be reduced to Alex’s friend––he simply won’t stand for it. It was somehow okay before, to think that being friends would be enough if he simply couldn’t have Alex’s heart, but he’s in too deep. He’s seen Alex up-close––seen how his face lights up when someone smiles or waves at him. Seen how happy he is when he feels smart. He wants to see every single variation and mood of his. He wants to be allowed access to all of him. He won’t settle for anything less.

“Look, my proud moment aside, I want to say that I’m sorry. It sucks that you don’t feel comfortable with your own family. I mean, I don’t really get it because I don’t have a dickish older brother or anything, but my family’s gone through some shit. My parents got divorced and my dad moved to the other side of the nation and…it was hard, you know? On all of us. It’s better now but I miss how it used to be. I miss him a lot.”

Henry smiles at him sympathetically and points to himself to say that he knows exactly how he feels. He misses his father more than anything.

Alex cocks his head to the side. “Did your parents get divorced, too?”

He shakes his head and points to the sky. _He’s up there now,_ he wants to say, _and hopefully, he’s watching me and still loves me and is proud of the man I’ve become._

Alex’s face falls. “He’s dead?”

Henry nods and feels tears sting his eyes.

The tears here are different than they were in the sea. Down there, he only went through the motions of crying. It was a natural reflex to certain things like when Philip destroyed his life’s work or when his father passed or when his mother resigned herself to her rooms. Those tears were always carried away by the sea––pulled elsewhere. Swept away and out of mind. He never had to feel his tears like he does now––feel the salty weight of them on his cheeks. He doesn’t know what to do now. Alex sees him crying. Sees the evidence right there on his face. What makes them go away here? What stops them?

He closes his eyes, feeling miserable and embarrassed, and feels something soft and warm on his cheek. He opens his eyes and sees Alex, on his toes, reaching up to wipe them away with the pad of his thumb.

“It’s okay to cry,” Alex tells him in a whisper.

People are looking at them. Henry can feel their eyes burning holes into his head. Does Alex feel them, too? Does he simply not care? Is it allowed for men to be with other men here? How had he not thought this through before?

Alex must notice Henry’s nervous gaze because he pulls his hand back and sinks back down to his normal height. His cheeks are flushed, Henry notices. He tucks that information away to think about and dissect later.

Alex clears his throat. “What was he like?”

And, oh _God_ , it feels so good to hear someone ask that. It’s practically forbidden for anyone to talk about his father in Britlantis. The Queen hated him which means that, by default, everyone else must hate him, too. But Henry could never harbor hatred for his own father, no matter how many times the Queen and Philip tried to sully his name. There’s not a person alive that could convince Henry that his father was not the wise, adventurous, loving soul he remembers him to be.

Henry points to his smile.

“Happy?”

He nods. He pantomimes looking for something.

“Uh…looky? No––curious?”

He nods again. It’s close enough. He points to his heart.

“Loving?”

He nods again. He doesn’t even know what else to say. There are so many words he could use to describe his father, but none of them seem quite right. He was many things, but above all, he was so kind. He was the kind of merman that could make sad people happy again, who could pull his mom out of her head, who could make Philip see sense, who could make Henry believe that there was an actual reason for his existence. He touched so many lives in such deep, meaningful ways, and Henry never even got to say goodbye.

“He sounds amazing,” Alex beams.

Henry nods.

_He was. He still is. I hold him in my heart every day, I keep him close. I try so hard to make him proud, but I’m so afraid that he would be ashamed of me for abandoning my family to come here and be with you._

Alex opens his mouth but then closes it again. He turns away from Henry and studies some writing written on a black surface outside the building that they’ve apparently almost reached. After a moment, he turns back to Henry. “What do you want?”

Henry has no idea how to answer that. He points to Alex and cocks his head.

“I’m getting the platter. It’s got a little bit of everything on it.”

Henry nods. Since he hasn’t got a clue what words like “pork” and “beef” mean, he supposes that Alex’s choice is probably the best thing for him to choose.

“Cool, so I’ll get two of those.”

Henry nods.

He lets Alex order the food with a scruffy-looking woman with red hair. She absolutely gushes over the fact that he’s the first son––a practical prince.

“You’re him, ain’t ya? The first son?”

Alex’s neutral expression quickly turns into a bright smile. “Yeah, I am. You want an autograph or something?”

The woman’s eyes widen. “Oh, yeah! That’d be great! Hang on, let me––” she goes off for a moment and comes back with some parchment in hand. Henry recognizes it from the books he’s found. “Here,” she says, handing it and some strange, grey object to Alex.

Alex takes it and scribbles something on the paper before handing it back to her. She looks like she’s just won some sort of great prize. Henry is baffled at the whole exchange, especially when she tells Alex that he doesn’t need to pay––because having him in her shop is an “honor,” apparently––but Alex still insists. Cash hands him a satchel and Alex removes ten gold pieces from it and places them on the counter. Henry’s never been asked to pay for anything in his life. Whenever he wants something, he simply goes to wherever he needs to go and the shop keeper hands it over without another word about it. It’s probably because people fear his grandmother too much to make him or any other member of the royal family pay for things, but it’s still so surprising to see Alex pay this humbled woman so much gold. Henry can read and the sign outside clearly said that each platter was worth only three gold pieces.

Once they receive their giant platters of food, which smell delightful, they head outside. Cash is at their heels, helping them navigate the crowds of people that have come out since the sun’s gone down. They make their way over to a wooden table in some sort of green area and sit down across from each other with Cash hovering by the end of it.

“Hey, Cash,” Alex says, glancing up at the man. “Could you get us some beers or something?”

Cash rolls his eyes but smiles and heads off to get whatever “beers” are.

As soon as they’re alone, Alex digs into his plate. Henry watches as Alex picks up a piece of it with both hands and chews it right off the bone. They don’t have food like this down in Britlantis.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Alex asks, his voice concerned.

Henry looks down at the piles of food on his plate and frowns, totally unsure of where to even begin with this thing.

Alex chuckles, sensing Henry’s fear, and leans forward to point out different items. He explains each one and how to eat it, even demonstrating with his own meal just so Henry really gets the gist. By the time he’s done, Cash is back with two cups in hand. He sets them down on the table and Alex instantly reaches for one and brings it to his lips.

“You’ve never had beer?” he asks, truly horrified.

Henry shakes his head. He’s never had any sort of liquid before. It simply wouldn’t work in the ocean.

“Well, this’ll be fun,” Alex chuckles, passing Henry his beer. Henry looks at it for a moment before copying Alex’s motions by bringing it to his lips. How the fuck is this supposed to work? Is he just supposed to taste it on his lips? Does he eat it? It seems impossible to bite into so he lets his fall down his chin.

“Jesus,” Alex laughs, reaching into his pocket and removing a cloth. He reaches across the table and wipes Henry’s chin. “You’re supposed to _swallow_ it. You drink it like water.”

It seems pointless to say that he’s never exactly had the chance to drink water, having lived in it his whole life, but he gives it a go, anyway. It seems to work well enough––he feels it go down his throat and settle in a pool of warmth in his stomach. He smiles at the feeling. He’s never felt anything quite like it, to be honest. It’s nice and warm and tingly. In fact, after a few more sips, he’s feeling positively radiant. Better than he has in a while. It’s like…it’s like he’s floating on a cloud.

They carry on eating and drinking for a while with Cash bringing them more beer whenever they run out. Alex talks about his life here. For the first little while, Henry is hanging on his every word. When Alex tells him about what it was like to go from a nobody to a famous person, Henry listens intently and desperately wishes that he could tell Alex that he’d like nothing more than to be a nobody. That being no one sounds fantastic. When Alex tells him about what school was like for him––he was an athlete (though Henry’s sure that “lacrosse” is nothing like riding massive, royally bred seahorses for polo) and a great student who specialized in history and political science––Henry listens with amusement. It’s nice to learn such things about Alex. To hear about his younger life and the kind of person he used to be before his mom became president.

But, after about four beers, Alex’s words fly right over his head. Everything is hazy and beautiful, especially Alex. All coherent thoughts seem to escape him as his mind settles on an endless loop of he’s so beautiful as he watches Alex speak and gesture with enthusiasm. At some point, Henry starts hiccuping uncontrollably and giggling like a madman which is when Alex decides it’s time to head home. He has to practically carry Henry into the carriage and then, once they get to the palace, up the stairs and to his room. Alex even helps him undress which Henry would love to really take advantage of––maybe make Alex undress, too, see if he has that same weird thing between his legs––but he’s so tired and his bed looks so comfortable.

The last thing he remembers is closing his eyes and hearing Alex’s voice somewhere from far away whispering, _“God, I wish you could speak.”_


	10. Coffee and More Coffee (All the Coffee)

Guilt.

It's all Alex can feel that morning. The guilt sits like a rock in his stomach as he goes through the motions of getting ready for the day. Last night is on a continuous, unbreakable loop in his mind –– Henry’s unfiltered smile and bright eyes and pink lips. It's driving him insane. How is it possible for him to think so much about someone he doesn't even know that well? It feels, somehow, like this is inescapable for him. The thing is that Alex hasn't felt that tugging since Henry forced his way into Alex's life. And maybe it would be okay for him to really lean into this feeling –– the one that makes him want to be as close to Henry as he can get –– if he didn’t have the memory of a sweet voice reciting poetry. With that memory –– with some half-formed notion that the savior is his true love –– he cannot, without enormous guilt, allow himself to feel these things for Henry. 

But Henry's a prince. A curious sort of prince (one that uses a fork to brush his hair) but a nonetheless prince. Henry's status would benefit Alex if he decided to start experimenting with these feelings. It would probably make his mom happy to see, but he _can't_. Somewhere out there, Alex's savior is waiting for him to find them. And despite the fact that he doesn't really know this person, he knows that it's worth fighting for. He can feel it in his bones.

When he gets downstairs, June and Nora are in the dining room already eating. The table is set with a variety of breakfast foods –– pastries, fruits, and meats –– and, most importantly, coffee. Alex immediately goes in for the coffee.

“I’m surprised you’re awake,” Nora says, “since you got home so late. And drunk. ”

Alex glares at her as he pours himself a cup of coffee. "Why are you even here?" he snaps, sitting down and grabbing a pastry. "You know you don't actually live here, right?"

Nora smiles sweetly like she's totally innocent and not being a complete threat. "But your breakfast spreads are _so_ much better."

Alex continues to glare at her while angrily sipping his coffee.

"Did something happen last night?" June asks, cocking her head to the side. “You seem tense. Your aura's all over the place. ”

Alex very pointedly ignores her. “Hang on. How do _you_ ,” he says, pointing an accusatory finger at Nora, "know that I came home late last night? ”

June rolls her eyes. “She slept over, Alex. Now tell me what's going on. ”

"She sleeps over a lot," he remarks.

June gives him one of those “cut the bullshit” looks. He stops talking. Immediately.

“Wait, did something happen?” Nora asks, now practically bouncing with excited energy.

Alex huffs and shoves a pastry into his mouth.

“Oh my God,” June gasps, “you _like_ him, don’t you?”

“Who?” Alex asks, trying to sound casual. Instead, he just sprays crumbs all over the table cloth.

“Okay, gross,” Nora says, gesturing to the crumbs.

“Shush,” June tells her, setting a hand on her shoulder before turning back to Alex. “You have to tell us _everything_.”

“There’s nothing to tell! And, even if there were––which there’s not––why would I tell you two?”

“Because we’re your only friends,” Nora shrugs.

“You’re not my––” he growls in frustration. “Nothing even happened, okay? So drop it.”

June giggles like this something hilarious and adorable instead of embarrassing. “Did you kiss him?”

Alex chokes. “Wh––No––I didn’t kiss him!”

“Why not? You like him.”

“I don’t like him, okay? He can’t even _talk_. He’s…”

Alex tries desperately to think of some sort of adjective to describe Henry. Something foul and vile and mean. Something that will make them see that he doesn’t like Henry––that he can’t like Henry. But whenever he pictures Henry, all he can see are flushed cheeks and glistening eyes and an unabashed smile on his face. All he can see are Henry’s gestures and his soundless laugh and the way his face goes pink whenever Alex compliments him. Fuck, why can’t he think of something negative to say about him? Why can’t his brain provide one fucking word he could use in his defense right now? He doesn’t even _know_ Henry. He doesn’t know what kind of person he is or where he comes from or what he likes or hates.

Except, after just one day, he _does_ know Henry. He may not know entirely how his mind works, but he knows that he’s curious. He knows that Henry is pure of heart and funny and gentle and thoughtful. He knows that Henry is running from his family that doesn’t like him and that he’s hoping to find somewhere he belongs. Somewhere that wants him, too. And Alex connects with him in a way he’s never connected with anyone else in his entire life. It’s totally ridiculous, though. And it makes no sense. But here Alex is, and Henry’s off in his room, and Alex misses his presence and wants to know him better and wants to see how he reacts to new things. Last night was, quite possibly, one of the best of Alex’s life. Even though people came up to him and treated him like the President’s Son, Henry didn’t. He doesn’t even think Henry knows entirely what a president is. Henry sees him–– _really_ sees him––and it’s both thrilling and terrifying.

June takes his silence as a victory. “I knew it! This is so cute. Alex, you have a crush!”

“I can’t like him, okay? I––he’s not the person. He’s not the one that saved me.”

June and Nora look at each other nervously. It’s so weird how they seem to be able to communicate silently. It annoys the fuck out of Alex because he’s always the one left out of the loop.

“Why does it even matter?” Nora asks.

“Because! Because that person saved my life and recited poetry and I know that they’re the one, okay? I can _feel_ it.”

“But they’re not here,” June says, “and Henry _is_. That person might never come into your life again, but Henry’s here and he’s cute, nice, and funny and you should give him a chance instead of comparing him to some sort of guardian angel.”

Alex shakes his head. He’s stubborn as anything and will refuse to admit defeat, even if he knows, somewhere in the back of his mind, that June is right. This person he sees in his dreams and hears in the wind may not come back for him. This person may not even care that he’s searching for them––that he yearns for them. There’s a very distinct possibility that his savior doesn’t give a flying fuck about him anymore––that the whole saving him was a one and done kind of thing. It hurts his heart to think of that blond, blue-eyed person out in the world just saving other people without giving him a second thought. Maybe his savior doesn’t even care about him. Maybe his savior recites romantic poetry to everyone they save from drowning. And with these thoughts, Alex realizes something: his savior isn’t really _his_ at all.

“I like Henry,” June says after Alex gets too lost in his sad thoughts to respond. “I think he’s good for you. Your energies balance really well, you know? It's like…” June looks to Nora for help.

“You’re fire,” Nora explains, “and he’s ice. It just works.”

Alex looks between the two of them skeptically. It sounds nice and all, but what good does it do him? Even if he likes Henry (which he _can’t_ , which he _doesn’t_ ) it doesn’t mean that Henry likes him back. How would anything between them even _work_? The whole mute thing may not be the most pressing issue on Alex’s mind right now since he’s too hung up on Henry’s beautiful fucking face, but it will be an issue if he lets this go any further. There’s no way in hell that Alex could ever even begin to manage a life with someone who can’t speak. It just wouldn’t work. He knows that.

But something about Henry makes him feel like he wants to at least try. He knows it’s ridiculous and that his mind is moving too fast, but he can’t help it. As soon as he sees Henry, he––

The double doors swing open and there he is. _Henry_. He looks like a mess with his hair all askew and bags under his eyes, but he still looks so fucking beautiful that Alex wants to scream. He stands as soon as he sees him.

June and Nora giggle. He shoots them a glare as Henry stumbles over to an empty chair and yawns.

Alex sits back down once he’s seated. “Good morning, sunshine,” he chuckles.

Henry looks up at him from across the table with a completely miserable expression staining his face. His hands reach up and absentmindedly rubs his head.

“Do you have a headache?”

He nods.

He gets to his feet again. “Let me go get a––”

“Sit down, Alejandro,” Nora commands. “We’ll go talk to the herbalist. You two can stay here and, uh, _mingle_.”

Alex sits back down and watches as the two girls get up and leave the room while giggling something under their breaths. “Have a good breakfast!” June calls before leaving.

Alex feels a little called out since they were obviously just trying to get him and Henry alone to see what happens, so he refuses to play into it. Plus, Henry looks like he might throw up.

“Have some water,” Alex suggests, pushing the jug his way.

Henry takes it and pours it into his cup while Alex gets a cup of coffee ready for him. As soon as Henry’s glass is full, he gulps the whole thing down in less than three seconds. Alex slides the cup of coffee across the table as Henry refills his next glass of water. The cup of coffee, it seems, makes Henry nervous.

“Its coffee,” Alex tells him.

Henry still looks dubious.

“Drink it. It’ll help. It makes you more awake.”

Henry’s eyes widen and he chugs the coffee at the promise of it making him more alert. Alex can’t help but laugh at the sight of it. After Henry finishes the coffee, he sends a lopsided grin Alex’s way.

“Is this your first hangover?”

Henry shrugs like he doesn’t understand what that means but it might as well be a hangover. It’s hilarious how Henry’s so uneducated in modern culture. He might know some classic poetry, but he’s got a lot to learn about the way life is. Alex thinks that he’s more than up to the task.

“Once you get something from the herbalist, you’ll feel better,” Alex explains. If the herbalist weren’t an ancient old geezer with four teeth and a wife, Alex thinks he might’ve been in love with him. His hangover and headache cures have saved Alex’s soul too many times to possibly count.

“Did you have fun last night at least?”

Henry nods and smiles.

“That’s good. I think what I’ve got planned for today is a lot better, though.”

Henry cocks his head to the side.

“I was thinking we could go to the lake,” he explains, “it’s not that far from here and there’s a cute village nearby with a big bookshop a––”

Henry’s eyes grow wide again and he nods his head so hard that Alex is slightly afraid he might snap his neck from the effort.

“The bookshop? Is that why you’re nodding? You wanna go to the bookshop?”

Henry nods again.

Alex chuckles at him and formulates a plan for the day based off of Henry’s sheer excitement for the bookshop. He doesn’t mind changing his day around for Henry, as long as he gets to see him smile again. And, anyway, it _is_ a cool shop, he supposes. The village is cute and serene, complete with a fucking unreal amount of flowers. It’s a very artistic community. He has a gut feeling that Henry will fight right in.


	11. A Healing Touch

The ride to the village is long. Much longer than the ride to the town. So long, in fact, that Alex dozes off on the way there. Henry’s beyond exhausted but he refuses to close his eyes for a moment because he doesn’t want to miss this experience. If he falls asleep, he won’t be able to see the green trees and the grass and animals that they have here on the surface. If he falls asleep, he might wake up and all of this will be over. He’s only got one full day left since he wasted the better part of the morning sleeping off this “hangover.” Maybe he’d still be feeling completely miserable if it weren’t for the fresh air whipping past him and blowing his hair back as the beasts––Alex called them “horses” carry them across the land. And if it weren’t for the fact that Alex’s head has made it to Henry’s shoulder in his slumber. That alone is enough to make Henry feel energized and uncontrollably smiley.

Zahra––the very one that found Alex after Henry saved his life––is with them today. It must be Cash’s day off or something. She’s a nice woman, he supposes, though she terrifies the everliving shit out of him for some reason he can’t quite place. She’s also not very talkative, which is fine because it’s not like Henry would be able to reply to her, anyway. It would probably be dangerous for her to turn around to read his gestures because she’s the one driving the carriage.

When they finally arrive at the village, Henry shakes Alex awake. What he’d really like to do is kiss him awake, but it would be of no use. Alex has to be the one to kiss him which is completely annoying and is making Henry’s life a living hell, but he feels like he’s close to it. Well, closer than he was when he arrived, anyway. Because when Alex wakes up and sees him, his sleepy eyes shine and he smiles softly like he’s looking at something he actually _likes_. Like maybe, just maybe, he finds Henry beautiful, too.

“Are we at the village?” Alex asks, rubbing his eyes.

Henry nods and hops out of the carriage, offering Alex his hand. Alex stares at it for a moment before taking it and allowing Henry to help him out. As soon as Alex is out of the carriage, Henry lets himself take in his new surroundings.

It’s a quaint little place with old stone roads and ancient buildings that look like they’ve been refurbished in order to maintain their old-timey charm. Compared to the town they were in last night, this place is tiny. The town was a sprawling mass of shops and restaurants and homes but this place only has a few storefronts, it seems. All of the buildings are set up around a small town square which is practically empty at the moment. Henry spots the bookshop right away, though, since there’s a metal sign of books hanging from the second story of the building. Henry tugs on Alex’s sleeve to get his attention and points to the shop. He’s so excited to see new books. He’s never seen a book that’s been perfectly preserved and kept out of the water, so the thought of it is thrilling to him. How many books will he be allowed to get? Will Alex pay for them or should Henry have brought his circlet or something to trade with?

“Okay, okay, just a second,” Alex says. He turns to face Zahra who is still seated in the carriage and, it seems, has brought her own reading material. “We’ll come find you when we’re ready to go, okay?”

“Sure,” Zahra says. “Handle yourself.”

Alex nods and lets Henry drag him across the square and into the bookshop.

The place is small and cramped but there are books _everywhere_. The walls are lined with shelves and shelves of them and there are even more shelves in the middle of the room. Henry would be rendered speechless if he still had the ability to speak. Instead, his mouth drops open and he feels tears brimming in his eyes because he’s so overwhelmed with happiness that he doesn’t even know what to do with himself. The first thing he thinks is how much his dad would have adored this place. Henry hopes that, somehow, he’s seeing this all with Henry right now and that he’s happy that Henry’s found a place that the two of them would have been eager to explore. Henry decides that, since his dad isn’t here, he’ll just have to explore it for the both of them.

As soon as the door closes behind them, letting out a little chime with their entry, a woman comes into view. She’s old and kind-looking with bright, blue eyes and white hair. She takes one look at them and lets out a sob.

“Artie!”

Henry looks to Alex, wondering if he knows what she’s on about. Maybe she’s just messing up Alex’s name or something. But then she hobbles over and wraps her arms around Henry like they’re long lost friends and not complete strangers. Henry is completely baffled.

She pulls away after a moment and rubs her eyes, still staring at him. “Dear, you haven’t aged a day!”

Henry frowns at her and looks to Alex for assistance.

“Peggy,” Alex says, looking at the woman, “I’m afraid you’ve mistaken him for someone else. This is my, uh, friend, Henry.”

The woman, Peggy, he supposes, looks shocked to hear that he is not, in fact, Artie. “But––I swear, you look just like him!”

Henry has no idea who she’s talking about. Who does he look like?

Alex seems to know, though, because he rests a hand on her shoulder and gives it a reaffirming squeeze. “I’m sorry. He’s not your son.”

Oh, so he reminds this woman of her son. Henry feels guilty for not actually being her son. Where did her son go? How long has he been gone? His heart aches for her. He knows the pain of missing someone all too well, so he can only imagine what this woman might be feeling.

The woman takes a moment to collect herself before speaking again. “Well, I’m so sorry, dear. Old habits, I suppose. Anyway, feel free to look around. Let me know if you need anything, hm?”

Alex nods with an apologetic smile on his face and puts his hand on the small of Henry’s back to guide him to a quiet corner of the shop. The touch makes Henry feel warm all over. Alex seems to be all business, though, because he’s not smiling anymore and his face looks quite forlorn and withdrawn. Henry frowns immediately when he sees it, wondering what’s got Alex so upset.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Alex says in a whisper. “Peggy’s really great but she just…misses her son a lot.”

Henry cocks his head to the side, urging Alex on.

“Her son went missing over twenty years ago. Then she lost her husband about five years ago and it got worse. She’s so lonely, you know? And I try to come by when I can but I––she’s the sort of person that I want to help. We should be doing more to help her––to help find her son and catch whoever’s responsible for taking him.”

Henry instinctively reaches out to put his hand on Alex’s cheek to comfort him. Alex melts into the touch and closes his eyes for a moment before sighing and stepping back. He looks… _torn_. At war with himself.

He points to something behind Henry’s head. “That’s him,” he tells him.

Henry turns and finds himself looking at a portrait of a young man. It’s old and faded, but he can make it out. The man does, admittedly, look a lot like Henry: he has the same jawline and eyes. And, the longer that Henry stares at this picture of the young, handsome man, the more he feels that there’s something eerily familiar about him. It can’t be possible for him to know Artie, though, considering the fact that this is Henry’s first time on land and Artie is a human. Still, though, he finds himself mesmerized by the image. His brain struggles to place this man from his memories.

“Are you okay?” Alex asks. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Henry shakes his head. He wishes he could ask for more information about Artie so his brain could put two and two together here. He’s missing something: he knows it. But he’ll have to tuck it away to think about later, he supposes, since they’ve come all this way to look at these books and he’s hardly paid them any mind beyond his initial reaction. So, instead of driving himself insane by staring at the drawing, he decides to go off in search of poetry books.

Alex goes off to find books that interest him while Henry loses himself in the poetry section. The books here are beautiful––leather bound and in prime condition. The pages aren’t worn at all and they smell clean and fresh. He lets his fingers drag along the spines of a shelf of books, just to feel the clean leather under his fingertips. It takes him a few minutes to get over the smell and look and feel of the books and actually start perusing the titles. After a while, he finds a few that pique his interest, so he scoops them up in his arms and starts to walk away from the poetry to find Alex, but then he catches something in the corner of his eye. He turns and sees an old, dusty book that’s wedged between two newer ones. Curious, he sets his books down and removes the old one from the shelf. The dust and decay vanish as soon as he wipes it off. He’s about to open it when he hears a thud.

He snaps his head up and sees Alex standing there with his mouth open and a pile of books on the floor. “What did you just do?”

Henry furrows his brows in confusion. Is he not allowed to take the books or something? That doesn’t seem right––it is a bookshop, after all. What’s got Alex in such a confounded state?

“You––that book was falling apart,” Alex says, stepping closer. “When you touched it, it somehow fixed itself.”

Henry looks down at the book and turns it over in his hands. It _does_ look much better than it did on the shelf. The spine was deformed and battered but now it just looks gently new. Almost as good as new, in fact. It––It shouldn’t be possible. Henry knows that he possesses no magical abilities like the rest of his family, but there’s something very obviously magical about what just happened. Maybe the book is magical, somehow, and just needed someone to activate it. He shakes the thought off because he’s pretty sure it’s impossible for a normal object to possess such qualities. It must be him then. It has to be. Before he gets his hopes up about having magic, he decides to try it out first. He picks up his books, including the old one he’s somehow refurbished, and hands them to Alex. Alex takes them and then gathers up his own. Meanwhile, Henry goes off to find that corner again––the one with the portrait.

When he finds it, he looks down at his hands and tentatively places them on the image. Nothing happens. He knew he must’ve been wrong. He’s ordinary––he’s not special. He can’t just fix things. He takes his hands away, disappointed, but then sees the portrait start to shift. A layer of dust falls off and the lines get sharper and clearer and color floods back into the one dull and faded image.

All at once, he knows exactly why this man looks so familiar to him.

It’s his _dad_.


	12. Near Kisses

Alex watches in awe as the one dull portrait bursts with color. Henry looks shocked, too. He keeps looking at his hands like they hold the secrets of the universe or something. Alex is starting to think that maybe Henry holds the secrets to the universe. Everything he does surprises Alex in the best way possible. And having magic…that’s fucking _incredible_. He grins at Henry, feeling a bit proud like he somehow helped with all of this, but Henry’s eyes are focused on the portrait of Artie. There are tears in his eyes, too. It makes Alex sick to his stomach to see him like this. Was magic not allowed in his own kingdom? Is that part of the reason he ran away? Alex wants to hold him close and tell him that’s okay––that he can be whoever he wants to be here in this land. That Alex will protect him at all costs. He reaches out for him, maybe even to tell him as much, but Henry flinches away from his touch. A rock of rejection manifests and sits heavy in Alex’s stomach. Has he been reading all of this wrong? Maybe Henry doesn’t think about Alex the way Alex is starting to think about him.

“You’re safe,” Alex says. “We allow magic here. Just, ya know, the good kind. No murdering people or anything. So as long as you don’t start killing people, you’ll be fine.” He tries to say it lightly like it’s a joke. Henry doesn’t seem to find him funny, though. He turns and looks at him for a moment, his eyes red and wet, and then walks away.

Alex tries to go after him but Henry leaves the shop and Alex still has a pile of books under his arm. Well, at least he knows that Henry can’t go too far. He pays for the books and gives Peggy a generous sum of gold––far more than the books are worth––and leaves to go find Henry. He stops off at the carriage first, just to make sure Henry didn’t somehow convince Zahra to take him home without Alex.

Zahra sets her book down as soon as she sees him. “You want to go back already?”

He shakes his head and drops the books in the back. “No, I––have you seen Henry?”

She raises an eyebrow at him. “The person you’re supposed to be looking after?”

He sighs and runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “He just ran off,” he explains. “I don’t even know what happened. We were in the bookshop and he––” Is he allowed to tell Zahra that Henry has magic? Would Henry hate him for it? Fuck it, he needs all the help he can get. “He has _magic_ , Zahra. And I think he just figured that out.”

Zahra raises an eyebrow. “That’s a twist. It must be driving you insane. Do you remember that year where you wanted to train to be a sorcerer?”

Alex rolls his eyes at the memory. “Anyway, he ran off. I think he’s scared that I’m going to get him into trouble or something.”

“What kind of magic?”

He shrugs. “I dunno. Healing magic, I guess? He fixed a book and a portrait just by touching them.”

“Well, it doesn’t sound like he’s breaking any of the rules, then. Magic’s allowed.”

“Yeah, I fucking know. I just––I’m worried about him. He doesn’t know where we are and he can’t ask anyone for directions and––why are you looking at me like that?”

Zahra chuckles. “Because you actually care about him.”

“No I don’t,” he huffs, folding his arms across his chest.

“Fine, whatever. You don’t. You’re just having a fit over someone you couldn’t care less about. Right.”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna go look for him. Thanks for the help,” he says, his voice dripping with bitter sarcasm. He turns around to go off in search of Henry again.

“Anytime,” he hears Zahra say from behind him.

It takes him ten minutes to find Henry. He’s sitting on a bench near the little flower garden on the outskirts of the town square. Alex feels the anxiety melt out of him as soon as he sees Henry––alive and well––sitting on a bench and staring blankly into space. He sits down next to him, noting the tension in his posture and the way his jaw is clenched.

“Hey,” he says, making sure not to get too close to him. He doesn’t want to scare him off again.

Henry doesn’t even look his way.

“ _Hey_ ,” he says again, trying to get into Henry’s line of vision. Henry finally registers his presence and his eyes widen. Alex feels like he’s done something wrong. “I’m here, okay? And I’m going to keep you safe. You’re fine––no one wants to hurt you.”

Henry moves his hand and, for a split second, Alex thinks that Henry might shove him off the bench. Instead, Henry’s hand finds Alex’s and he threads their fingers together. Alex smiles softly at the gesture and gives Henry’s hand a reaffirming squeeze, just so he knows that Alex is here for him and he isn’t going anywhere.

“I didn’t mean to freak you out back there,” he says.

Henry shakes his head like it isn’t Alex’s fault.

“I’m here if you wanna talk about it, okay? Or mime about it, I guess.”

Henry silently scoffs, but his lips turn up at the corner just a bit.

“And, to be honest, it’s pretty fucking cool. I mean, I knew you were smart since you read all that fancy poetry, but you’re also _magical_? Seriously, is there anything you can’t do?”

Henry turns to face him properly. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something but then closes it again. Instead, he buries his head into the crook of Alex’s neck. Alex’s free arm instantly wraps around Henry’s body, holding him close. He feels Henry cry into his shirt, but he can’t bring himself to care much for the mess. He just wants Henry to be happy again. He wants to see Henry fumble around and get excited about little things like books. He wants Henry to start miming again, even if Alex never understand what exactly he means.

It’s too hard to keep denying it to himself: he _likes_ Henry. It’s infuriating for him to come to terms with this, and he still feels like he’s abandoning the person that saved him, but the feelings have grown so large that he can’t hope to contain them anymore. He likes Henry so much. He wants to kiss him––wants to run his fingers through Henry’s hair and draw silent moans out of him. He wants to see Henry’s whole body––not just his chest. He wants to know how Henry’s mind works so he can better understand his gestures. He wants to help Henry learn about his magic so he doesn’t fear it anymore. He wants to protect him from every single thing that’s ever tried to hurt him.

“I’m here,” Alex whispers into his hair, “and I’ll protect you, I swear. You’re safe with me. I––I want to be here for you.”

Henry sniffles and pulls himself away.

They’re so close to each other right now––their mouths are only a few inches apart. There’s a mass of butterflies fluttering around in Alex’s stomach as he takes in the sight of Henry’s oh-so-blue eyes from closer than he’s ever seen them before. God, he’s so fucking _beautiful_. And maybe, if Alex leans forward, Henry will meet him in the middle. He starts to, so eager to finally have Henry’s lips on his own. His eyes start to flutter shut in anticipation and––

“Oh, you found him,” someone says.

They spring backward and away from each other. Alex glances up at the intruder and sees Zahra there with a knowing smile on her face.

He glares at her. “Shouldn’t you be with the carriage?”

She shrugs. “I thought the horses could do with some food and water so I found someone to look after them for a bit. I thought I should come check on you to make sure you hadn’t over-thought yourself to death. It seemed likely, given what an anxious mess you were only minutes ago.”

Henry cocks his head to the side as if to ask what exactly Zahra’s talking about, but Alex refuses to explain. It’s too embarrassing to tell him that he was worried sick about him when he ran off.

“We were just about to, uh, go get some lunch.”

Zahra raises an eyebrow at him. “It’s two-thirty.”

“A late lunch,” Alex says, standing. He hopes his cheeks aren’t too flushed.

Henry stands, too, and nods in agreement. There’s a hint of pink dusting his cheeks, Alex notes. It makes him happy to see it.

“We’ll come find you when we want to go, okay?”

Without another word, Alex starts walking away from her, assuming that Henry will follow him. Henry does and Alex leads them to a small café on the water. It’s a place he’s been to before with his dad when they used to come here during the summers. Those trips happen a lot less frequently now since his mom is president and his dad is busy with his own local government, but he holds the memories dear. His dad still has a small property on the other side of the lake so you can see the light from the village at night reflecting on the water. It’s glorious.

Whatever happiness Henry had reclaimed is gone as soon as they sit down to eat. Alex is sort of hoping that some food and alcohol might fix whatever’s going on, but it doesn’t. Throughout the meal, Henry is still morose and silent. Well, he’s always silent, but not like _this_. He’s not even miming at this point. Whenever Alex talks, Henry at least looks like he’s half-listening, but he never does anything to reply. It’s fucking infuriating. Maybe the almost-kiss was a mistake. Maybe Henry doesn’t think of him that way at all.

No, there’s _something_ there. Alex can feel it between them. He could feel it when Henry put his hand on Alex’s cheek to comfort him. He could see it in the way that Henry went a little pink with the touch. So Alex refuses to give up hope. He just has to get Henry to break out of his shell again somehow.

After Alex pays for the meal, he gets an idea. When they were in town last night, Henry looked like he wanted to dance. He kept eyeing the musicians and the dancers like he longed to be a part of it. So Alex, using his powers as the son of the President, convinces some stray musicians to come together in the square to perform. He pays them handsomely, of course, because he knows that this will bring a smile to Henry’s face and that’s worth more money than he could possibly even imagine. He has to drag Henry off of a bench he’s sitting on, but he knows that Henry won’t be too mad at him when he sees what’s going on.

They play something fun and upbeat to start. It’s a classic song––one that Alex has heard June play on her guitar. It’s perfect for fun, mindless dancing, so he offers Henry his hand and bows a bit because Henry’s a prince. Henry doesn’t find the gesture amusing, though. He stares at Alex’s hand like it’s a ghost or something. Alex rolls his eyes and stands back up, deciding to dance like an idiot himself until Henry pulls his head out of his ass and has lets himself have some fun. As soon as Alex starts dancing, other villagers flock to the square and start dancing, too. For such a small, artistic community, he should have known that they would be excited to dance given the right opportunity. The sun is high in the sky and the air is sweet from flowers with just a hint of a semi-salty breeze from the lake. It’s the perfect day for an impromptu dancing session in the square.

It takes two whole songs for Henry to start moving. Alex offers him his hand and Henry looks at it again, but this time he actually takes it. Alex grins, feeling victorious, and drags him to the center of the square where everyone else is dancing. Henry, it seems, has never danced like this before. It's like he’s got two left feet and he keeps stumbling around, but that smile’s back and his eyes look happier than they have all day, so Alex doesn’t really care that he’s so clumsy. In fact, he finds Henry’s clumsiness rather endearing. He takes Alex’s other hand and spins them in a circle, throwing his head back in silent laughter. Alex laughs, too, because this whole thing is so ridiculous and Henry is so beautiful and it’s getting harder and harder for him to shove these feelings down. How is it possible that everything Henry does makes Alex want to kiss him? Maybe he should try again, just to see what happens. If the right opportunity presents itself, of course.

After an entire song of Henry dancing like a clumsy fool––which Alex very much enjoys––the band changes it up and plays something slow. The violin starts the piece and Alex knows that he’s heard this one before––he’s seen it performed by an entertainer when they came through the nation and played at the palace. It’s a beautiful piece, though it’s better on the piano. Still, Alex offers this dance to Henry. All of the other villagers have already paired off so it’s just the two of them left to dance together.

Henry accepts his offer. Since the piece isn’t fast enough to waltz to or something, Alex decides that they should just sway. It’ll be easier for Henry, anyway. So Alex wraps both of his arms around Henry’s shoulder, connecting his fingers behind Henry’s head. Henry looks lost.

“My waist,” Alex tells him.

Henry nods, turns a bit pink, then puts his arms around Alex’s waist. Alex sways them in time to the music, but he can’t even really hear it anymore. All he can think about is how well they fit together like this––like two pieces of a puzzle slotting into place. How Henry’s hands feel like magic on his waist. How Henry looks in the sunlight with brightened eyes and golden hair. He’s smiling softly at Alex like he’s something precious and Alex can’t help but smile back. This is the most perfect, romantic moment he’s ever had with anyone and he’s so glad that it’s with Henry. It’s the perfect moment for him to get up on his toes and lean towards Henry’s lips, extending the offer. So he does. He’s come to terms with the fact that this is something he desperately wants, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it. He’s so close to Henry’s lips that he can feel Henry’s shaky and nervous breath––feel the thrum of Henry’s erratic heartbeat.

Something wet hits his eye. He steps back in surprise and, all of a sudden, rain is falling all around them. Henry looks absolutely terrified of the water. The villagers are giggling and screaming and running for cover, so Alex laughs, takes Henry’s hand, and they sprint to a nearby building to avoid getting more soaked.

He’ll kiss Henry soon. He won’t stop until he does. So what’s another challenge?


	13. Splash!

It takes about an hour for the rain to let up. The building they ran to turned out to be a small inn with a mighty “fireplace” and cups of warm, delicious “hot chocolate.” Alex is a ball of nervous energy beside him. He keeps bouncing his knees up and down while he drinks his hot chocolate––desperate to get outside, it seems. Though Henry doesn’t know much about life here, he does know that he and Alex have almost kissed twice in the past two hours. He knows that he hasn’t imagined it because Alex’s eyes always flutter shut and he looks so beautiful that Henry thinks the image will be engrained in his mind forever. Though they’ve been interrupted both times, Henry hopes that it doesn’t deter Alex from trying again. Henry would go and kiss him first if he could, just to make things a bit easier for him. Since he can’t, he’s been resigned to waiting patiently for Alex to get the nerve to try again. It’s bound to work at some point, he hopes.

While they sit by the fire, Henry thinks about Peggy and the portrait. He can’t believe that, this whole time, his dad was half- _human_. It completely baffles him. He’s a bit angry with his mother for never telling him, but then he thinks himself unfair for being angry with her about it. It was probably his dad who didn’t want him to know, anyway, though he can’t imagine why. If he had known about his dad, maybe everything would have made sense a lot sooner. Maybe he wouldn’t have felt so torn between two worlds and he would have felt freer to embrace the land above instead of confining himself to the sea. Maybe things would have been better if he had known the truth about where he comes from.

The knowledge of his dad’s life makes him feel closer to him, though. It warms his heart and makes him feel like his dad would definitely be proud of him for defying his gran and Philip and going to the surface to seek a new and better life with a man he’s starting to love. And the fact that he was in a bookshop owned by his grandmother makes him immensely happy and makes him feel closer to his dad than he’s felt in years. Even if all of this goes to hell, he’ll be happy to hold onto that memory.

As soon as the rain clears up, Alex takes his hand and leads Henry back towards the water.

“Stay here, okay?” Alex says, pointing to a bench by the shore. “I’ll be right back.”

Henry nods and sits down on the bench, already eager to see whatever surprise Alex has in store. While he’s waiting, he sees a strange ripple in the otherwise peaceful water. Curious, he gets off of the bench and walks towards the surface to investigate.

“Henry!” someone whispers.

He turns to follow the voice and sees a familiar face grinning at him from the water. It’s _Pez_. He grins and moves towards him. Another head pops out of the water––this time it’s Bea.

He cocks his head, hoping to convey, _what are you doing here?_

They seem to get it immediately. “You never came to shore last night like we talked about,” Bea says with a frown. “We were worried that something had happened to you.”

Henry had completely forgotten about his agreement to meet them by the shore every night to fill them in on what had happened. He frowns, disappointed with himself.

“It’s fine, babes,” Pez assures him, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “Were you with Alex? Is that what happened?”

Henry nods. He _really_ wishes he could just tell them in words. Any gestures won’t do his thoughts about Alex justice. There’s no hand signal he can use to express how much he likes getting to know him––how much he enjoys each and every minute they spend together.

“That’s good,” Bea says. “Are you any closer to getting a kiss?”

Henry can’t help but blush as he thinks about their two almost-kisses. He nods sheepishly.

Pez whoops softly, as to not be overheard. “That’s fantastic! I’d ask you for the details but…”

Bea’s gaze is somewhere off in the water. She stares off for a moment before turning back to face Henry with an eager smile on her face. “Oh, he’s gotten you a boat! How romantic!”

Henry looks out and sees Alex waving at him from a small boat. For a moment, he’s terrified that Alex can see Bea and Pez before he notes that they’re hiding behind rocks on the shoreline. He waves back, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face at the sight of Alex coming towards him on the water. Bea and Pez giggle at his enthusiasm. Henry’s so lost in the sight of Alex that he doesn’t even register Bea’s hand coming to his arm and giving it a squeeze. He looks down at her.

“He’s very handsome,” she tells him, “and I’m proud of you for doing this. Dad would be, too.”

He smiles weakly, knowing that he’ll have to tell her what he discovered as soon as he gets his voice back. Well, _if_ he gets his voice back. If Alex never kisses him, will Henry even be able to say goodbye to his friends and family? Will he be able to explain everything to Alex before he goes off into Richards’ clutches forever? He pales at the thought of just leaving––of never getting to tell Bea about their dad, of never telling Pez how much he’s done for him, of never telling his mom he loves her once last time, of never telling Alex how he feels.

As soon as Alex rounds the rocks, Bea and Pez duck into the water––out of sight. Alex is still smiling at him, obviously pleased with himself for this idea. Henry tries to push the fear out of his mind and instead manages a smile back before standing. Alex offers him a hand to help him into the boat and Henry takes it gladly, focusing on the warmth the touch spreads through his body.

“You’ll want to sit down,” Alex tells him. Henry nods and sits down on one of the benches built into the boat. Alex does the same, grabbing two oars and gently rowing them away from the shoreline.

Henry watches Alex as he rows. It’s pure torture to see his arm muscles flex with the effort and be unable to do anything about it––to see the way Alex bites his lip with each pull. Henry wants to take Alex’s lip between his teeth. Henry wants to kiss Alex’s body from head to toe until Alex is a panting mess beneath him. Henry wants to––It’s doing it again. He can _feel_ it. The odd part of him between his legs is growing again. Embarrassed of the strange appendage, he shifts in his seat in an attempt to conceal it. Thankfully, Alex doesn’t seem to know anything about it.

Alex rows them to a small, secluded part of the lake. The sky is painted in glorious pinks and oranges that illuminate the water in a beautiful hue. This has to be the most romantic moment that Henry’s ever had––more romantic than he could have ever dreamed of, even. There’s never been a more perfect time for Alex to kiss him––to cross the distance between them and make Henry human forever. Just one kiss––that would be enough. It doesn’t even have to be a long kiss or a particularly good kiss. It can be feather-light and last only a moment. It can be tentative and nervous, so long as Alex fucking _kisses_ him.

“My dad used to take us out here,” Alex says, setting the oars back in their holders.

Henry smiles and leans forward, urging Alex on.

“He has a small property on the other side of the lake. He’s got a boat, too, and he’d take me and June out here during sunset so we could watch the colors change into stars. We didn’t know any of the constellations so we’d just make them up, but it was fun.”

Alex looks up at the sky for a moment and smiles sadly, clearly missing those times with his dad and sister. Henry reaches out for him, setting a hand on his knee. Alex looks down at it for a moment and then up at Henry. Maybe it’s just the sunset reflecting off his skin, but Henry swears that his cheeks have turned pink with the contact.

“I think this is my favorite place,” Alex whispers, staring right into Henry’s eyes like they hold the answer he might be looking for. “Whenever I’ve pictured being with someone, it’s always here. I always take them here and show them the sky and just…watch them react to the beauty of it.”

Henry swallows a nervous lump in his throat.

Alex sets a hand on top of Henry’s and squeezes it. “You’re the only person I’ve ever brought out here.”

Henry’s heart races in his chest. Does that––could it possibly mean that he’s considering Henry to be someone he’s interested in? He knows that they’ve almost kissed twice now, but that could just mean that Alex finds him attractive––not that Alex is _falling_ for him. It’s more than Henry could have ever hoped for.

The wind breezes past them and Henry hears the faint sound of music being swept up with it. He raises an eyebrow and looks around as the music gets louder, almost like it’s surrounding them. There’s no reasonable explanation for it since they’re in the middle of a lake and there’s no one around them, but he knows that he hears it. Alex seems to hear it too because he starts looking around, clearly searching for it.

“Do you hear that?”

Henry nods and sees something move behind Alex. He peers over Alex’s shoulder and sees Bea, practically hidden in some reeds, with a huge smile on her face and a thumb’s up. Henry smiles at her, sending her a silent _thank you_ , before returning all of his attention to Alex.

“Beautiful,” Alex says, still looking at him. He coughs and runs a hand through his hair, looking away. “The music, I mean. It’s…uh…nice.”

Henry nods. _Beautiful_ , he agrees, _yes, you are. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen._ He decides to give Alex a nudge in the right direction, so he points to him.

Alex furrows his brows. “What? You…you think _I’m_ beautiful?”

Henry nods.

Alex smiles at him. “You’re beautiful, too. So fucking beautiful…”

Alex starts to lean in and Henry goes to meet him halfway. It feels like his heart might leap out of his throat before he gets the chance to experience Alex’s lips on his own, so he tries to focus on his breathing. If he fucks this up, he’ll never forgive himself. This moment is what his whole life has been leading to––what the thing inside of him has been yearning for all his life. Kissing Alex is his destiny––he can _feel_ it. When they’re this close, when their lips are barely an inch apart, the tugging stops completely. Instead, his body explodes with warmth and happiness like closing the final distance will make his whole life suddenly worthwhile and right. He was born to be a human. He knows that now. His father was a human so it’s no wonder that part of Henry has always ached to be on the land. And Alex is not just the way he gets that––Alex is part of the whole fucking reason he thinks that he could actually do this. When he’s with Alex, he doesn’t feel scared or weak or miserable. He feels happier than he’s ever felt. He feels like he could fly.

Just as Alex’s hand comes to cup Henry’s jaw to draw him closer, the boat rocks beneath them. They jolt apart just in time for the entire thing to capsize, throwing them below the surface of the darkening water. Without his tail, Henry is useless to get back to the surface. He hasn’t the faintest idea of how humans swim without fins. He moves his arms like he would to swim if he were still a merman, but nothing happens. He’s sinking deeper and deeper into the water, unable to get back up again.

“Henry!” he hears from above him, followed by splashing. It’s Alex––it has to be. Henry opens his mouth to tell him that he’s down below the waves but his voice is still gone, even in the water, and all it does is fill him full of more water.

“Henry! Fuck, where are you?”

His eyes start to close. He’s so _tired_ from the effort.

Something scoops him up from under his arms and propels him to the surface of the water. He gasps as soon as he breaks the surface, taking in as much air as he can possibly get. He coughs and water comes out of his mouth.

“Hey, you’re okay,” Alex tells him, picking him up from under his legs and holding him close to his chest. Alex runs a hand through Henry’s wet hair, brushing it back and off of his face. “You scared me. You’re okay now, though. I’ve got you.”

Henry nods, helpless to do much else. Alex starts bringing them to shore and, behind them and near the wreckage, Henry sees two pairs of beady yellow eyes glaring at him. Fuck, it’s those damned eels. _Richards’_ eels. Henry grits his teeth at them, angry that they’ve gotten in the way of what might’ve been the kiss to turn him human forever. Their crooked teeth smile back at him before they disappear completely.

Fuck, he’s got less than a day to make this work.


	14. Oh No! There's Trouble On the Beach!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no! Don't worry, just remain CLAM and read on! I will probably have another update tonight! WOO  
> get it?   
> like calm? but it's a clam because this is a little mermaid au?   
> no? ok.  
> anyway, here's a chapter.

They’re soaked to the bone and freezing, but Alex knows that’s not even why he’s shaking. When the boat tipped over and Henry vanished beneath the dark, murky surface of the water, Alex was completely terrified. In fact, he thinks it’s the most panic and fear that he’s ever felt in his entire life. For a brief moment, he thought Henry was just _gone_. Vanished just as quickly as he entered. Alex’s heart is still pounding erratically in his chest at the thought of it, so he readjusts himself so his head is in Henry’s lap. Henry, who had been reading one of his new books by the dim light of one of the lanterns, looks down at him and raises an eyebrow. Alex smiles up at him for a moment, hoping that his face doesn’t reveal his fear of what happened and his need to make sure that Henry remains safe and unharmed.

“Are you okay?” he asks him.

Henry looks at him for a moment, slightly confused, then nods and sets his book off to the side.

“I’m gonna teach you how to swim,” Alex promises. “I never would have taken you out on a boat if I knew you couldn’t swim.”

Henry averts his gaze, clearly feeling guilty.

“ _Hey_ ,” Alex says, reaching up and cupping Henry’s jaw in his hands, bringing his head back down to meet his eyes, “it’s not your fault. I should’ve asked you. And I’m not mad or anything––you just…it scared me. A lot.”

Henry closes his eyes and leans into the touch as if to say that’s sorry and that he’s here and that he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

“Here, pass me your book.”

Henry frowns at him.

“I wanna read it. Maybe I’ll figure out why you like it so much.”

Henry grins and grabs the discarded book, passing it to Alex. Alex readjusts himself so he can see better but keeps his head in Henry’s lap as to not venture too far from him. He holds the book up above his face, straining slightly to make out the words in the dim light. He clears his throat before he begins.

“A Red, Red Rose,” he begins. “My love is like a red, red rose / That’s newly sprung in June: / My love is like the melody / That’s sweetly played in tune.” There’s something warm and fuzzy taking up space inside of him as he reads the words on the page. He steals a glance up at Henry who has his eyes closed, totally immersed in the words. Alex smiles softly and keeps reading. “As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, / So deep in love am I: / And I will love thee still, my dear, / Till a‘ the seas gang dry.”

He hears a rustling and then feels Henry’s tentative hand start to comb through his curls. His eyes flutter shut for a moment, lost in the glorious sensation of it. He tries to continue in his normal voice as to not give away the effect that Henry’s hands through his hair have on him. “Till a‘ the seas gang dry, my dear, / And the rocks melt w‘ the sun: / And I will love thee, my dear, / While the sand o’ life shall run.”

Fuck, why did he choose such a romantic poem? Why was this poem the page he randomly opened to? Does Henry feel the words pierce him as deeply as Alex does? Does Henry feel warmth radiating through his body right now? When he sneaks a peek at Henry again, his cheeks are warm and pink in the light. Fuck, he’s so beautiful. Alex doesn’t know how he’ll be able to go any longer without kissing him. He has to kiss him soon.

“And fare thee weel, my only love, / And fare thee weel a while! / And I will come again, my love, / Thou’ it were ten thousand mile.”

Silence lingers in the space between them. Alex bites his lip nervously, afraid that the poem’s gone too far and that Henry thinks he’s just creepy now or something. If they weren’t in a carriage with Zahra steering, he’d reach up and kiss Henry right now, just to see how he would react. Surely Henry likes him, too, right? It’s impossible to deny this feeling between them now as it sits heavy and thick in the air like honey on a summers’ day. Alex can’t help but feel that the poem was made for him or for them––especially with the last bit. He would travel to the ends of the earth to find Henry. He would travel anywhere he had to go to keep Henry safe by his side and only a breath away. He would give all that he is to have Henry return these feelings and want Alex the same way Alex wants him.

He opens his mouth to ask if he’s crossed some sort of line with the poem, but then Henry reaches down and plants a kiss in Alex’s curls and he finds himself unable to speak. Instead, he tosses the book aside and nestles against Henry even more, burying his face in the folds of Henry’s wet shirt. Even though he’s soaking wet, he still smells like Henry––like the sea and sunshine with a hint of lavender from the shampoo at the palace. Alex smiles as he inhales the scent, wrapping his arms around Henry to secure his position in case they go over and rocks or bumps. Henry keeps one hand in Alex’s hair and wraps the other around Alex’s waist. Alex sighs in content, deciding that he’s never been happier than he is at this very moment.

He’s so content and safe, in fact, that he must fall asleep. He realizes this when Henry shakes him gently and he opens his eyes to find them back at the palace. Zahra looks a bit upset to being kept so long, so Alex makes haste. He rubs the sleepiness out of his eyes, smiles at Henry, then gets out of the carriage. He helps Henry out before leaning back into the carriage to collect their books. He knows that Henry is standing behind him––he hopes Henry enjoys the view.

“We should probably go get changed,” Alex says when he turns around, books in hand.

Henry nods in agreement. Alex offers him his elbow and Henry takes it, allowing Alex to guide them into the palace. He leads them both up the stairs and deposits Henry with his books by the door to the guest quarters.

“I’ll call an attendant for you,” he offers, “and have them run you a hot bath. You wouldn’t want to catch a cold.”

He starts to walk towards his own room when Henry tugs on his sleeve, making him turn around. Henry’s eyes are big and scared and Alex feels so guilty even though he doesn’t think he’s done anything. Henry points to himself, then to his eyes, then to Alex, and then taps twice on his own wrist.

Alex has no idea what that’s supposed to mean so he just stares at him for a moment while he pieces it together. Henry tugs on his sleeve again and hooks their fingers together, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Oh, will you see me soon?”

Henry nods, looking hopeful and nervous.

Alex smiles and squeezes his hand. “Of course. I’ll come find you when we’ve both warmed up and changed, okay?”

Henry nods and releases his hold of Alex to allow him to go back to his own chambers.

“So,” someone says as soon as Alex enters his room, closing the door behind him. He turns and sees Nora sitting on his bed with a smile on her face. “How was it?”

Alex rolls his eyes and moves to set the books down on his desk. “Shouldn’t you be, I dunno, at your own house?”

Nora huffs and gets off the bed, planning herself on Alex’s desk while he organizes the books into piles. “Not when I know you’ll need someone to talk to.”

“I could talk to June,” he counters, folding his arms across his chest and sitting down in the desk chair.

“How could you talk to June when she’s gone off to talk to Henry?”

“You know, I _really_ don’t need y’all meddling in my personal business.”

“We’re just helping. You need it.”

“I don’t, actually. I’m fine.”

Nora sighs and hops off the desk, making her way towards the door. “Fine. If you really don’t want to talk to anyone about it…”

Alex is on his feet in an instant and grabs her hand to keep her here. “Okay, okay, _fine_. You got me. I’m totally stressing about it and I don’t know what to do, okay?”

Nora grins and plops herself down on his unmade bed. “Tell me everything.”

So Alex does. He tells her about Henry’s magic and their near-kisses and the fear he felt when Henry vanished beneath the water. He tells her about the sense of disloyalty he feels for betraying his savior and trying to act on these feelings for Henry. He even tells her how _complete_ he feels when he’s with Henry––like maybe he’s the thing Alex has been searching for his whole life. By the time he’s done, Nora is practically desperate to open her mouth to give him her thoughts on the matter, so he lets her speak.

“Alex, that’s so _cute_! When I thought you liked him or something, I kinda thought more that you just wanted to have sex with him, but you’re falling in _love_ with him! It’s adorable!”

Alex scoffs but doesn’t deny it.

He is, in fact, falling in love with Henry. And it’s ridiculous because it’s only been two days but he knows that he’s never felt a connection like this with anyone. No one has ever consumed his thoughts like Henry does or made him smile as much. No one has ever known Alex as holistically as he lets Henry know him. He’s in so fucking far over his head but he doesn’t even care anymore. Maybe, just maybe, Henry’s falling in love with him, too.

“So what’s holding you back?” she asks, her voice softer now.

He looks at her, puzzled. “What? Nothing’s holding me back. I’ve tried to kiss him, like, three times.”

“Tried being the keyword there.”

“We were interrupted. Not my fault.”

“Sure.”

He stares at her for a moment, annoyed by the smug expression on her face. It’s infuriating how she thinks she knows everything. It’s more infuriating that she actually does know everything. He caves and gestures for her to explain.

“Look, the way I see it, you’re torn between Henry and your mysterious savior person. And if you want to move forward with Henry––”

“Which I _do_ ,” Alex interjects.

“Then you need to officially let the mysterious person go.”

He groans. “How am I supposed to do that? Go out to the ocean and just tell all of this to the waves like they might be listening? Like I’m some kind of––Jesus fucking Christ, why are you looking at me like that?”

She smiles mischievously. “Because that’s exactly what we’re gonna do.”

That’s how, five minutes later and now in dry clothing, he finds himself at the beach with Nora. She holds his hand as he stares out at the dark waves as they beat against the sand. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and tries to begin.

“Dear Mysterious Savior,” he says. He turns to Nora. “I feel like an idiot.”

She rolls her eyes. “Shut up and do it. You’ll feel better.”

He sighs and tries again, pouring his heart out to the sea. “Thanks for saving my life and reciting that really beautiful poetry. I, uh, I’ve been holding onto the thought of you and that you might reappear or something, but I can’t do that anymore. I’ve…I’ve met someone else. He’s beautiful and smart and talented and so fucking precious that it makes me want to scream and kiss him all over.”

“That’s a bit weird to say,” Nora says.

“Anyway,” Alex says, ignoring her, “I just wanted to say thank you and, um, goodbye, I guess.”

There’s no response.

He doesn’t know what he was expecting to happen. He does feel a bit better, though. Just knowing that his words are being carried off with the sea breeze makes him feel lighter. He does kind of wish that there had been a bigger, more dramatic moment, though. That the sea would take the form of a human and tell him that they’re happy he’s found someone he’s starting to love. Instead, the waves keep rushing up against the sand before receding and the wind calmly wisps around like it’s always done. Nothing new or exciting at all.

He sighs and turns with Nora in tow when he hears something in the water. He turns around and sees a dark shadow––an outline of what looks like a man––coming towards him. His breath hitches in his throat at the thought that this shadow might be the savior coming to say goodbye and wish him happiness and luck. He squeezes Nora’s hand in excitement, unable to control the grin on his face. He waits patiently for the figure to emerge completely from the water and move towards them. As soon as the person steps into the lights from the pathway to the beach, Alex can’t help but frown.

It’s an older man with grey-white hair, a fleshy nose, and sunken eyes. He’s dressed in all black and Alex can’t believe that this creep is the one that saved him. He feels…relieved, if he’s being honest. Relieved that he went with Henry instead of holding out hope for this man.

The man sees them and smiles with crooked teeth. He approaches them and Alex feels dread pool in his stomach, not sure that this is his savior at all.

“Alexander,” the man says in a deep, raspy voice. It’s definitely not the voice that recited poetry to him. “That really was a moving speech.” Who the fuck is he?

“How do you know my name?” Alex asks.

He laughs and the sound makes Alex feel sick to his stomach.

“Nora, run,” he whispers, fearing for her life.

She seems hesitant to go without him but he shoots her a look that makes her agree that she needs to get away from here as quickly as possible. She starts to take off but the man raises a hand. An eerie red light shoots out from his palm, wrapping around Nora and holding her in place.

Alex runs to try to help her but the man shoots another beam right at Alex. He can’t move. All he can do is watch as the man laughs again––the kind of laugh that could curdle milk––and approaches them with a horrifying grin on his face.

“I’ll need both of you for this part,” he says.

Alex glares at him, helpless to do much else. He can’t even open his mouth to say something.

“It’s a shame that Henry thought he’d get a happy ending so easily,” the man scoffs.

Alex’s eyes widen at the mention of Henry.

The man notices his surprise and grins. “Oh, did you really not know? Well, I suppose there’s no way he could have told you since he traded his voice for those legs.”

Alex has no fucking clue what’s going on. His head is full of questions but his mouth is glued shut. How the fuck does this man know Henry? What did Henry have instead of legs? Does this mean Henry actually has a voice?

“I see you trying to work it all out,” the man says. “Don’t worry––you’ll never have to. I’ve got just the solution.”

It’s the last thing Alex hears before his world goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem, "A Red, Red Rose," is by Robert Burns. Just in case you were wondering!


	15. We're Gonna Crash a Wedding! Yay!

After Henry’s bath, he comes into the room and finds June sitting on his bed with a smile on her face. All cold from his near-death experience in the lake is gone, so all he feels is happy and warm and excited to see Alex later. He wonders if Alex is already in the bath or if he’s walking down the hall at this very moment to find Henry. The thought of spending time with him tonight––by a fireplace, perhaps––sounds _incredible_. Maybe tonight will be when the mood is right for their first kiss. Maybe they won’t be interrupted like they were before. The mere thought of kissing Alex and making this all permanent makes Henry feel warm all over. The stakes are much higher now than they were before because Henry’s actually gotten to _know_ Alex now. After knowing him for just two days, Henry knows that he won’t be able to go back to not seeing him every day.

“Did you have a nice bath?” June asks.

Henry––who’s already changed into the soft, silken pajamas given to him by one of the attendants––smiles and nods as he makes his way over to the bed, sitting cross-legged to face June.

“And how was your day with Alex?”

He gives her a thumb’s up.

“That’s so good to hear. I think he really likes you, you know. He _never_ takes anyone to the lake.”

Henry knows this––Alex told him the very same. It makes him feel special knowing that he’s the only one Alex shared such an intimate part of himself with. It fills him with hope.

“Do you have plans to meet with him tomorrow?”

Henry shakes his head and points to the grand clock in the corner of the room.

“Oh, tonight? Now?”

He nods.

“I’m sorry to keep you, then,” she says, standing up. “Do you want me to walk you to his room?”

Henry shakes his head, knowing that Alex will come to his room when he’s ready. June nods in understanding and places a quick kiss to his cheek. He beams up at her.

“Be good to him, okay? He’s––he feels more than he lets on.”

Henry nods. He would _never_ hurt Alex. He wouldn’t dream of it. If anything, Alex is going to be the one to break _his_ heart. Certainly not the other way around.

June takes his nod as a promise and leaves him to his thoughts. It’s probably for the best, anyway. He needs some time to think through everything before Alex comes and fetches him. Then, after he and Alex part ways for the evening, he’ll go down to the beach and see if Bea and Pez are waiting for him. Maybe he’ll be able to talk by then and he can tell them everything he’s learned and experienced here.

He paces for an hour as he runs different scenarios through his head. It does him no good, though. He’s more anxious than he was before. Since it’s been a whole hour, he figures that Alex should be done getting changed by now. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he goes down the hall and to Alex’s door. He knocks three times but Alex never comes to let him in. He waits outside his door for five minutes before he gives up and goes back to his room, just to see if Alex is waiting for him there and Henry somehow just missed him. Alex’s isn’t there, either. Puzzled and annoyed, Henry grabs a pair of shoes from the massive closet and goes downstairs and out to the beach to find Bea and Pez.

The fact that Alex probably forgot that they were supposed to meet breaks his heart. Maybe he was foolish for believing that he mattered to Alex or that Alex actually wanted him. Maybe this whole thing has been some sort of ridiculous game for Alex to get a good laugh out of. Henry should have known that it was too good to be true. Alex is so beautiful and smart and perfect––it would be unheard of for him to settle for someone like Henry. Henry’s not even human, not really. He doesn’t belong here––he doesn’t fit in. It was foolish for him to think that Alex could be his happily ever after. It was foolish for him to think that he even _deserved_ a happily ever after. For the first time in his miserable life, he was happy. Now he just feels numb. Useless. _Worthless_. At least, when Richards gets his soul, he won’t have to feel this heartache that’s welling up inside of him. At least he won’t have to deal with the pain of knowing that he came so close just to lose it all by being himself. He’s an idiot––a fool who doesn’t deserve an ounce of Alex’s attention.

He slumps into the sand and grabs a fistful of it just to feel it slip through his fingers. Just like Alex slipped right out of his grasp. He wants to scream––he wants to cry and scream and shout about how _unfair_ all of this is. Instead, he grabs another fistful of sand and throws it into the water.

“Hey, that was my _eye_ ,” a familiar voice groans.

He whips his head up and sees Bea and Pez moving towards him. He gets up and runs into the water to wrap his arms around both of them, afraid that he’ll never get another chance to do so.

“What’s wrong?” Bea asks.

Henry shakes his head, still clinging to them like they’re his lifelines.

“I forgive you for throwing sand in my eye,” Pez laughs, “if that’s why you’re so upset.”

Henry shakes his head again and pulls away from them. Tears sting his eyes.

Bea and Pez immediately grow serious.

“What happened? Was it Alex?”

Henry nods pitifully, looking down at the water. He’s such a failure––how is he supposed to tell them that he’s fucked everything up for good? They’ll be so ashamed of him, won’t they?

“Oh no,” Pez gasps. “What did he do?”

Henry doesn’t even know how to describe the events in a series of mimes. He settles for just one, instead, hoping it’ll convey everything well enough. He makes a heart with his hands and breaks it in half.

“Hen,” Bea coos, wrapping him up in another hug, “I’m so sorry. I really thought he liked you.”

“Bollocks,” Pez huffs.

Bea jerks her head back, pulling away from Henry, and glares at him. “Pez!”

“I’ve seen how Alex looked at you,” he said, setting a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “He was completely smitten. Something’s wrong. He wouldn’t just… _change_ his mind like that. Not with how far gone he was.”

 _Well_ , Henry wants to argue, _apparently he did. Who can blame him_?

Bea is silent for a moment before she splashes the water in frustration. “It had to have been Richards,” Bea says. “I saw his eels at the lake. He has to be the reason.”

Pez nods in agreement. “Yeah, that makes sense. They tipped your boat, didn’t they?”

Henry nods.

“We tried to stop them, Henry,” Bea assures him. “But they were too fast for us.”

He smiles softly at his sister, thanking her for trying.

“You’ve got one more day, though,” Pez reasons. “And it’s not like Richards can come on land and mess this up for you. As long as you stay out of the water, I reckon you’ll be fine.”

“We believe in you,” Bea says. “You _belong_ here, okay? I’ve never seen you happier than you are when you’re on land and with him.”

Henry wraps his arms around them both again, so happy that they’re here and that they believe in him. It means the world to him that they have faith in him even when he has no faith in himself.

One more day. He has until the next sunset to make things right between him and Alex and seal the deal. As long as they don’t go in the water again, everything will be fine. Alex will wake up tomorrow morning and they’ll spend the day together and Henry will get Alex to kiss him before the sun goes down.

One more day. How hard can it be?

As soon as he wakes up and gets down to breakfast the next morning, it becomes immediately clear that this will, in fact, be very fucking hard.

There’s a commotion in the dining room––he hears a mix of voices shouting over each other. Though he doesn’t want to intrude on a family matter, he’s starving and desperate to see Alex, so he goes inside. As soon as he steps into the room, he’s affronted by the most peculiar sight.

Alex and Nora stand in the middle of the chaos, their hands linked, and staring straight ahead like the shouting doesn’t bother them. Ellen and June are screaming their heads off, clearly annoyed with something they’ve done. Henry tries to step in as quietly as possible as to not disturb this. He needs to go what’s going on before he does anything. It’s nearly impossible to understand what’s going on since June and Ellen are talking over each other, but Ellen says something that makes June stop talking so Henry can start to listen in and understand.

“Look,” Ellen says, rubbing her forehead, “I just need you to walk us through this.”

Alex sighs and turns to face his mom, his eyes looking duller than Henry knows them to be. It’s like he’s not even there anymore. “I’m getting married,” he says.

Henry feels butterflies swirl and flutter in his stomach. Does Alex––could this possibly mean that Alex wants to marry him? Is that why he didn’t come find Henry last night? Was he making this decision? Henry feels like a prick for doubting him for even a moment.

“Whether you like it or not,” Alex finishes.

Ellen sighs. “Yes, you’ve already _said_ that. I want to know why.”

“Me too,” June huffs, folding her arms across her chest. “This makes no sense. You two are just friends!”

Henry hangs his head. Is that really all they are? It doesn’t feel like they’re just friends. It feels like they’re so much more.

“We’re in love,” Alex says.

“Totally in love,” Nora adds.

They both sound too monotone for such a joyous occasion. If Henry could make noise, he’d be squealing like Pez when he sees a shark. For once, he’s glad he can’t make noise. It’d be embarrassing.

“You’re not in love,” Ellen decides. “You’re not even dating.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Alex argues. “We’re getting married. Make the arrangements.”

Ellen scoffs. “ _You_ don’t get to give _me_ orders, Diaz. _I’m_ the adult here. You’ve obviously lost your mind. There will be no wedding, you are not getting married, and I’m calling a fucking healer.”

Leo stands and walks over to Ellen, placing a hand on her shoulder. “He’s a grown man. If he wants to get married, there’s nothing we can do to stop him.”

“I’m not letting him get married!” Ellen yells, absolutely livid.

June nods in agreement.

Henry’s a bit upset that they don’t seem to like the thought of him and Alex getting married. It hasn’t been long, sure, but they really _have_ something. Can’t everyone see that?

“Nora, look at me,” June says, getting right up into Nora’s face. She takes Nora’s head in both hands and forces Nora to look at her. “You don’t want this. You don’t love him.”

Well, Henry’s confused now. He thought he understood what was happening, but he’s clearly out of the loop. He clears his throat, hoping that someone will fill him in.

They all turn to look at him. June smiles and walks over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and guiding him over to the rest of the group. “Look, it’s Henry. Alex, you remember Henry, don’t you?”

Henry waves sheepishly but Alex doesn’t even look at him. The closer Henry gets to him, the more he sees that Alex’s features have changed. His hair seems flatter and his eyes are vacant. His posture is stiff and rigid. There’s something very wrong with all of this. Something’s happened––something bad.

“I’ll speak to the event planners,” Alex says.

“You’ll do no such thing,” Ellen snaps.

“Alex, _please_ ,” June begs, shoving Henry closer to him. “Henry’s here. Look at him! If you can look into his eyes and tell him that you want to do this, then I guess I can’t stop you.”

Alex does as he’s told and slowly turns to look at Henry. It’s silent for a moment. Henry’s almost positive that everyone can hear his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He stares at Alex and Alex stares back, but it isn’t really Alex. That gold fleck in his eye is gone––completely dull. This isn’t his Alex. This isn’t the Alex that would read poetry or try to kiss him or take him to the lake. The man standing before him is a shell of the man Henry knows and cares for. It breaks his heart to see it.

 _What happened to you?_ He wants to ask. _Who did this to you? Come back to me, please._

“I’m getting married,” Alex says, still staring at him, “to Nora. Before the sun sets.”

It feels like a knife has just sliced through Henry’s heart. He can’t be here––he can’t bear to look at Alex right now. The room is spinning––his entire world has just tilted off its axis. His body is shaking and he hears something ringing in his ears. A silent, mangled sob forces itself out of his throat. The walls are closing in on him. There’s no air in here. He has to get out––he has to clear his head. He needs to get away. As soon as the tears start to fall, he runs out of the room, throwing the double doors open and going upstairs to his room. He slams the door shut, but the privacy does nothing to calm him. The world is still spinning––the walls are still threatening to crush him at any moment. There’s a balcony. He goes to it. He throws the doors open and leans out over the railing. He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath filled with the familiar taste of the sea.

He’s drowning.

He must be.

It’s like the lake all over again only Alex isn’t here to save him this time. He can’t figure out how to break the surface. He’s kicking and screaming but no one hears him as he silently sinks deeper and deeper beneath the water. Would it even make a difference if anyone could hear him? The people that love him are a world away––confined to the sea. Even if someone could hear him, would they pull him out? Would anyone save him?

Someone’s hand is on his back. How much later is it? He’s on the ground––he has to open his eyes. Did he fall asleep? Did the wave of emotion take him completely?

“Henry,” the someone says.

His eyes have to adjust to the bright light. He turns and sees June crouched in front of him, a hand on his shoulder and a soft, sympathetic smile on her face.

“I’m glad you’re still here. I thought you would’ve left or something.”

He shakes his head and tries to get to his feet but his legs are made of jellyfish. June helps him up and into his room, depositing him on the bed. Where else is he supposed to go? He can’t go home. He can’t be with Alex. It seems that the only thing he can do is wait for Richards to come and take him.

“They’re getting married,” June tells him. “They’re really doing it.”

Henry looks away, burying his face in a pillow.

“I know. They’re probably getting on the boat as we speak. We can’t just _sit_ here, Henry. We have to do something.”

Henry removes his face from the pillow and stares at her. He makes a heart with his hands and shrugs. They love each other. What could we even do?

She shakes her head. The stubbornness reminds him of Alex. It makes his heart ache. “They _don’t_ love each other. Not like that, anyway. You have to know that he only has eyes for you.”

Henry shakes his head. She’s wrong. She’s so wrong. Didn’t she hear them? They love each other––they want to get married. No one forced them to. If anything, everyone was against it. It’s their choice and there’s nothing Henry or June can do to stop it from happening. If they’re already getting on a boat, they’re too late, anyway. Henry’s officially out of time.

“I know they don’t actually want this. Nora wouldn’t…”

He blinks at her, waiting for her to finish the thought.

She sighs. “Nora wouldn’t _do_ that. She’s––we’re dating. We’ve been dating for over a year. There’s no way that she would just randomly decide she doesn’t love me anymore, go find Alex, and get married to him.”

Of _course_ they’re dating. Henry had noted how close they seemed, but he didn’t want to assume. But, if June and Nora are dating, then June’s right: it makes literally no sense for Nora to want to marry Alex. Surely Nora wouldn’t just abandon June like that. If they loved each other, Nora would be out of her bloody mind to just––

He shoots up like a rocket, suddenly on his feet. Nora _wasn’t_ in her right mind. She couldn’t have been. He only noticed the way Alex looked, but he’s certain that Nora must have looked the same. Neither of them did this of their own volition. It must’ve been––

_Richards._

Fuck, it was _Richards._ That’s probably why Alex never came for him last night. Richards must have gotten to Alex somehow. And Nora. They’re doing this because they’re under a spell.

He tugs at June’s arm and starts pulling her out of the room.

“What, do you have an idea?”  
He nods.

They’ll need help to get to the ship, of course, but he knows exactly where to find it.

He takes June down to the beach. He waits for a moment, certain that Bea and Pez will appear. They somehow know when and where to find him, so he’s hoping they come. If they don’t come, well, Henry hasn’t got another plan. This is it. It’d better work.

They appear after a few minutes. Pez is the first to appear and, as soon as he sees June, he squeals and dives back into the water. A moment later, Bea emerges with Pez’s arm in her grasp, forcing him to go closer to the shore.

“Are…are they _mermaids_?” June asks in complete disbelief.

“Well, I’m a mer _man_ ,” Pez says. “And the general term we prefer is merpeople, but yeah. And you must be Alex’s lovely sister. A human.”

“I––Uh, Henry, how do you…you just know _merpeople_?”

Henry laughs a silent laugh and crouches down to talk to his sister and friend. He points to the boat sailing off into the horizon and mimes swimming.

“You need us to get you to the boat?”

He nods and tugs on June’s arm, bringing her down towards the sand with him.

“And her?”

He nods again.

“Is this to win Alex back?” Pez asks, suddenly giddy.

Henry nods.

Pez claps excitedly. “Yes!”

“We’re going to interrupt his wedding,” June explains.

Pez’s jaw drops. “What? How thrilling! I’ve always wanted to crash a wedding.”

“We haven’t got much time,” Bea says, pointing to the sky that’s already starting to change color. “We have to move fast. Henry, you can ride with me. Pez, I assume you’re capable of taking June?”

Pez grins, clearly eager to be closer to June. Henry playfully rolls his eyes before stepping into the water and taking Bea’s hand. He hops onto her back and she takes off with Pez and June close at her fins. It feels nice to be back out on the sea again, but Henry wouldn’t trade his legs for anything. He’ll be content if he never has to spend a single day as a merman for the rest of his life.

When they approach the grand ship, Bea and Pez drop them off near some netting. June climbs up first so Henry can watch and figure it out. As he gets on, Bea grabs his hand.

“We’ll be right here if you need us,” she promises. “I believe in you.”  
He nods, sticking his chin out, and ascends to the top of the netting and onto the ship.

It’s a casual but beautiful wedding complete with a white, floral archway that Alex and Nora are currently standing under, their hands clasped together. Henry’s fists clench by his side as he watches it. It makes him sick to see. Richards has to be here somewhere to keep the spell up. He scans the crowd and sees him. He’s looking as vile as ever, even with legs and in a black suit with his hair slicked back. He points him out to June, hoping that she understands that he’s the one responsible for all of this. Mustering all the courage he has, Henry runs off towards Richards in a murderous rage. The crowd gasps and people start yelling, but Henry is a man on a mission. As soon as they make eye contact, Richards just _smiles_ at him like the fucking bastard he is. People yank on his arms, pinning them behind his back and kicking the back of his legs to bring him to his knees. He’s immobilized.

Still staring at Richards, he notices something hanging around his neck. It’s the _vial_. The one with his voice inside. He gestures to it with his head, hoping that June understands.

 _The necklace_ , he mouths.

June nods with fierce determination and slowly makes her way over to Richards, creeping through the crowd to get the drop on him. The wedding goes on like nothing happened since Henry has been restrained and is being dragged away by the guards, unable to do anything but watch. Richards must be casting a spell on the whole wedding party to just focus on the wedding and not the commotion. Even the guards stiffen as soon as they have Henry out of the way.

He watches as June sneaks up behind Richards and snatches the necklace from around his neck, breaking the leather with her forceful yank. They struggle with it for a moment before the necklace flies through the air and lands on the deck of the ship, shattering into a million pieces.

Henry’s heart sinks with the implications. If the vial is broken, his voice must be gone forever. Even if, by some miracle, Alex kisses him before the sun goes down, he’ll never be able to speak again. He hangs his head in defeat, already accepting his failure.

His father will be so disappointed in him, won’t he? Bea and Pez will have helped him for nothing.

“Henry, look!” June calls.

He looks up and sees a golden ball of light emerge from the shattered pieces of the vial. His eyes widen as it travels through the air, across the deck, and straight into his mouth. It burns upon reentry, but he doesn’t mind it. Finally, his throat feels normal again.

Using all the strength he can muster, he screams.

“ _Alex!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end here, folks!


	16. What the Ocean Carries Away

“ _Alex_!”

It feels like his brain was torn apart, smushed around, then shoved back into his skull again. He hisses, falling to his knees from the sheer pain of it. Where is he? Why is he in a suit? What’s Nora doing in a wedding dress? None of that seems to matter when he remembers that voice. That voice that he’s dreamt about––the voice that’s made him more confused than he’s ever been before. Someone’s hands are on him, checking to see if he’s okay. The world is still coming back into focus, but all he knows is that he needs to find that voice.

“Are you okay? Alex, please tell me you’re all right. Christ, I’m so sorry. I never thought…”

He looks up and everything slots into place again, the world coming back into focus. Henry is in front of him, checking him for signs of injury. He smiles at him, so relieved to see him.

“Are you hurt?” Henry asks.

Alex opens his mouth to reply but then realizes what just happened.

Henry _asked_. Sounds––full words––just came out of Henry’s mouth. Not only were they sounds, but they were also sounds that sounded _exactly_ like the voice he recalls so well. He blinks at Henry, baffled.

Henry chuckles nervously and Alex can _hear_ it. God, it’s so fucking beautiful. It’s deep and gorgeous and wholesome and Alex wants to cry because Henry can _speak_. Henry helps him up to his feet and brushes a hair back way from Alex’s forehead, leaving his hand there.

“Hello, love,” Henry says with a nervous smile.

Alex is so overwhelmingly happy that he tackles Henry in a monstrous hug, pulling him close and keeping him there. He laughs into Henry’s neck and feels happy tears stinging his eyes.

“It’s _you_ ,” he whispers as he pulls away from the hug, looking at Henry’s big, beautiful, blue eyes. “This whole time, it’s been _you_.”

Henry smiles at him. “Yes. I couldn’t exactly _tell_ you, though, could I?”

Alex laughs and wipes happy tears from his eyes.

“Why are you crying?”

Alex laughs again and more tears come out. There’s no stopping them, it seems. “They’re happy tears, H. I’m just so fucking happy that it’s been you this whole time. I can’t even––You’re amazing. This has to be the best moment of my whole fucking life.”

Henry glances around nervously. “Well, er, I hate to ruin this, but, well…you have to kiss me.”

Alex’s eyes widen. “What?”

“I haven’t got the time to explain right now but I promise that I will as soon as you kiss me, okay?”

It’s not like Alex really needed any reason, so he cups Henry’s jaw and leans forward. His whole body feels overwhelmed with happiness and warmth right now and he knows that a kiss will only make this moment even more perfect. Just as he’s about to put his lips on Henry’s, _finally_ , Henry yelps in pain.

Horrified, Alex watches as Henry’s eyes close and his body goes limp. Alex catches him in his arms and sets him down gently on the ground, stroking his hair and keeping Henry’s head against his chest.

“Henry?” he asks, voice shaky.

Henry doesn’t stir. Alex is working himself into a bluster, absolutely terrified that Henry’s somehow just suddenly died or something and there’s nothing he’ll be able to do to save him. He just got to meet Henry completely––he shudders to think that Henry will be gone for good.

Red tendrils of light wrap around Henry’s legs and bind them together. He watches in horror and confusion as Henry’s legs are bound together and turn blue and scaly like a fish. Two large fins sprout up from where is toes once were. He looks like a _merman_.

Henry comes to as soon as the tail takes the place of his legs, but he won’t meet Alex’s gaze. He looks embarrassed, which Alex finds ridiculous. He just wants to know what’s going on.

“Are you okay? What just happened?” Alex asks.

The tail flops against the wood of the deck. “I––”

“You’re too late!” a voice calls.

Alex and Henry both look up to see an angry, slimy-looking man in a black suit coming towards them. There’s a moment of recognition. It’s the man that Alex met on the beach––the one who did something to him and Nora. The one who knows Henry somehow.

The man’s suit bursts outwards and is replaced with black tentacles.

What the fuck is going on? Is everyone here just going to start turning into fish?

The man snaps his fingers and the rest of the people on the boat look at what’s happening and start screaming and running for lifeboats. Alex sees his mom and June rushing towards him just to be thrown back by one of the mighty tentacles. The man reaches them and tries to pry Henry out of Alex’s arms with one of the tentacles, but Alex refuses to let go. Henry screams––either in pain or horror––and Alex tightens his grip around him, holding him close. One of the tentacles comes up around Alex’s neck, cutting off his air supply. In a moment of weakness, he releases his grip on Henry to try and pry the thing off, but that’s when another tentacle comes and snatches Henry, hoisting him into the air by his waist. The one around his neck releases and retreats.

“No!” he screams, standing up and reaching out for Henry, trying to get him back.

The man laughs and moves towards the edge of the boat. Alex tries to take off after him but his mom and June hold him back.

“You’re too late, Alexander,” the man exclaims. “He’s mine now!”

Henry’s eyes are big and terrified. “Ale––”

He doesn’t even get to finish before he’s taken below the water.

“Let go of me!” he demands, struggling to free himself from June and Ellen’s firm grips. They release him after a moment.

“You can’t go after him,” his mom says. “That was all kinds of fucked up and you don’t need to get involved.”

“Mom, I’m already involved,” he argues.

“I know you’re falling for him, but–– _Alex_! You can’t breathe underwater––you’ll die!” June says.

“I have to do this,” he says, already taking off his jacket, shirt, and shoes, preparing to dive into the water.

“Al––”

“ _Mom_ ,” he begs, “I already lost him once. I won’t lose him again.”

His mom looks at him for a moment then sighs. “I know, sugar. But you’ll need this.”

She hands him a small silver dagger.

He raises his eyebrows at it. “Why the fuck do you have this?”

“Now’s not the time, Alex! Go. We’ll get all the guests to safety.”

Alex nods, kisses them both on the cheek, then dives overboard.

It’s fucking dark down here. Alex can’t see a single fucking thing for a moment, even though he knows that he’s got his eyes open. It takes him a moment to adjust, but then he can see two murky figures in the distance––one very obviously larger than the other. It’s Henry and that squid-man. It has to be. Dagger in hand, he swims faster than he ever has to reach them, slicing at one of the tentacles when he gets close enough. The man screams in pain and throws Henry as he tries to assess his wound. Henry flies back a bit, doing a sort of backward flip. One of the tentacles comes and slaps Alex down, sending him towards the ocean floor. It renders him useless for a moment as he gets his bearings again, but then Henry’s arms wrap around him and he rockets Alex to the surface, knowing that he was going to run out of air soon.

As soon as he gets to the surface, he takes in a giant gulp of air. “Who the fuck is that, Henry?”

Henry chuckles, his hands still around Alex, keeping them both afloat with…well, his tail, Alex supposes. “A madman.”

“Clearly. Why is he after you?”

“Oh, you know,” Henry sighs, “I made a deal with him: my voice for a pair of legs. That sort of thing. And, since I didn’t get you to kiss me by sundown today, he’s trying to take my soul forever. As it goes.”

Alex blinks at him. Suddenly, he feels himself deflate. “Oh. So you, uh, never liked me. It was just part of a deal?”

Henry shakes his head. “Of course I liked you. I––I wanted legs for a reason.”

Alex stares at him for a moment. Even though Henry can speak now, he still leaves Alex feeling like an idiot. God, he’s perfect. “Why would you ever trade your voice for legs?”

Henry looks at him and cups Alex’s jaw with his hand. This time, Alex doesn’t need words to understand exactly what Henry’s trying to say.

“ _Oh_ ,” he whispers. “You did it for me.”

“Of course I did. And I’d do it a million times over again.”

Alex’s heart feels like it might just beat right out of his chest. In no fucking universe does he deserve Henry.

“But we have to get you out of here now,” Henry says.

Alex shakes his head, wrapping his arms around Henry protectively. “I’m not fucking leaving you.”

“There’s nothing either of us can do now, I’m afraid. I made a deal and I must see it through. If you stay, he’ll just hurt you, too. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.”

“And I couldn’t live with myself knowing that I didn’t at least _try_ to save you!” He takes a deep breath. “I just found you,” he cries, feeling tears well up in his eyes at the thought of leaving Henry to face this alone, “and I’m not letting you go. Not ever.”

Henry opens his mouth to respond but a tentacle slices through the water between them, sending them both reeling backward. Alex lands by the boat and shouts up to his mom.

“Lower a lifeboat!” he calls.

While his mom lowers a boat for him, he watches as Henry struggles with the squid-man, trying to stay above water. All of a sudden, three heads pop out of the water. More mermaids, he supposes. Henry’s friends or family coming to help him.

As soon as the lifeboat hits the water, Alex climbs in and steers it directly for the squid-man’s head, ramming the bow of the ship into his skull. Given the force of the boat, he expected it to at least render the man unconscious or something for a moment, but all it does is piss him off. He bellows in anger and cuts the boat in half with one of his tentacles, leaving Alex flying towards and under the water again. Another pair of arms scoop him up, but they’re not Henry’s arms this time. It’s a woman with a teal-colored tail and tired eyes. The woman races him to the surface. He’s starting to feel like he’s fucking incompetent since people keep saving him.

“You must be Alex,” the woman says. She’s got dark eyes and greying hair, but she looks kind. She looks a bit like Henry, especially with that expression. “I’m sorry we didn’t get to meet under better circumstances.”

“Sorry, who are you?”

“I’m Catherine,” she says offering him her hand to shake. He does. “Henry’s mum.”

Wow. Alex is speechless. This is really quite the time to meet the parents, huh?

“Thank you for looking after my son,” she says.

“I’ve done a pretty shitty job of that.”

She shakes her head in a way that reminds him of Henry. “You’ve shown him what it’s like to be loved completely. I couldn’t have asked for anything better for him. And I appreciate the fact that you’ve come here to help, but there’s nothing you can do.”

“I don’t care. I’m staying.”

As he says that, Henry, another merman, two mermaids, and the squid-man burst through the water. Alex immediately swims over to see if there’s anything he can do to help.

“We struck a deal, boy!” the squid-man yells, strangling Henry with one of his tentacles. An older mermaid with white hair and some sort of scepter in hand grins. “Just go with him, Henry. It’ll be better for all of us.”

“You betrayed us!” the youngest mermaid shouts. She looks about June’s age––maybe a bit older.

“Your _father_ betrayed you,” the woman spits. “He’s the one that tainted the bloodline and produced _him_. Humans are the real villains and Henry wants to _be_ one of them!”

Even though Alex has no idea what’s going on or what sort of family drama he’s being swept up in, he knows what he has to do. He takes a deep breath and swims forward. “I know you’re owed a soul,” he says to the squid-man. “Does it have to be Henry’s?”

They all go silent for a moment.

“What’re––” the youngest mermaid says.

The squid-man cuts her off. “Any soul will do just fine.”

Alex looks at Henry for a moment.

He’s so beautiful––Alex can’t believe he’s been lucky enough to get to know him and hold him in his arms. Henry makes him want to be a better, kinder, more patient man. It doesn’t feel real that Henry likes him back––that Henry put his entire life on the line for the chance at getting to know and love Alex. Henry deserves so much better. Henry deserves the entire world, but Alex can’t give it to him. What he can give him, though, is a full life ahead of him. The chance to be with his family again and fix whatever’s going on, the chance to keep exploring, the chance to read more books, the chance to find a love he can hold onto. That’s all Alex can give him––a chance. _A life_.

He takes a deep breath and looks away from Henry’s terrified gaze.

_This is for you, Henry: For loving me and for risking your life for me. It’s time I do the same._

“Take me instead,” he says to the squid-man.

Henry cries out. “Alex, no! You’ll die!”

The squid-man smiles and reaches out to shake his hand––to make him promise that he’ll be true to his word. Alex shakes on it and hears Henry cry out again, but the squid-man releases his hold of Henry and takes Alex instead, so at least he’s safe from harm now. The tentacle tightens around him, squeezing the life out of him. Henry, sobbing, swims up to Alex and reaches out for him, putting his hand on Alex’s cheek.

“I’m sorry,” Alex tells Henry in a strangled whisper. It’s all he can manage right now.

Henry shakes his head. “You’re an idiot. A moron. I can’t believe you’d––”

“I’m sorry I never got to kiss you.”

Henry sobs a bit harder at that and opens his mouth to say something, but the squid-man takes Alex below the waves and away from Henry.

Henry’s mom, Henry, the merman, and the youngest mermaid all chase after him, but the squid-man is faster than they are. They’ll never catch up.

As Alex’s lungs run out of oxygen, he looks at Henry. There are so many things he never got to say to him. There are so many things he never got to do with him. There’s a lifetime of adventures he can conjure up in his brain, but he’ll never get to live a single one of them. It doesn’t matter, though, because at least Henry will live. At least Henry will be able to keep breathing and living, even if it’s without Alex by his side.

The funny thing about the ocean is that it washes away Alex’s tears as soon as they fall.

The last thing Alex sees is Henry’s face, terrified and puffy and sad.

Then the ocean takes Alex away, too.


	17. Find Your Way Back to Me, My Love

This has to be a nightmare. This is Henry’s worst fear in a moment––it can’t be real. The scream that tears through his body when he sees Alex go limp is unmatched in any world. It’s so forceful and strong that Henry is sure that it can be heard across the world––traveling to every pocket of the sea. It makes his body double over from the effort as the scream turns into mangled sobs that crawl up from his stomach and burn his throat. His tears are washed away the moment they gather and it isn’t fucking fair because Alex deserves tears for his sacrifice––Alex’s death demands every ounce of Henry’s pain and sorrow. Even though Alex may have believed that this was the only way to save Henry, he clearly didn’t realize that he’s damned Henry for the rest of his days. Henry has no interest in being part of a world where Alex’s smile no longer exists, where his eyes no longer brighten when he’s getting ready to fight for something. In saving Henry’s life, Alex put an immense, unimaginable value on it––a value that Henry could never begin to live up to.

His mom’s arms come around him and pull him close to her chest, holding him back from doing anything reckless as Richards drags Alex’s body deeper and deeper until they’re almost out of sight. Catherine strokes his hair, trying to calm him, but it’s of no use.

Henry isn’t just sad anymore––he’s _angry_. He’s angrier than he’s ever been in his entire life. He’s angry with his grandmother for double-crossing him and teaming up with Richards, he’s angry at Alex for sacrificing himself, and he’s angry at Richards for killing him. His heart has been ripped out of his chest and sent bleeding and beating into the endless blue, wrapped in an iron grip, never to return to him. It infuriates him to no end. Of anyone, Alex is the one who deserved a better life. He _had_ a good life until Henry came and mucked it all up for him. And now that he’s gone, Henry knows what he has to do.

“Mum,” he begs, “let me go. _Please_.”

His mom complies and releases him. He whips around to face her and sees Bea and Pez floating behind her, both forlorn and red-eyed.

“I have to get him,” he tells them, sticking his chin out.

“Henry, _no_. He’s gone,” his mom reasons.

He shakes his head. “I have to do it. His family––I need to tell them what happened. They’ll want to have him––he needs a proper burial. I won’t let the sea just take him forever.”

The three of them look at each other before turning back to face him.

“We’re coming, too,” Pez decides for them.

They both nod in agreement.

“No, it’s too dangerous,” Henry argues. He refuses to see anyone else get hurt on his behalf.

“You need us to defeat him,” his mom says. “I can try to knock him out. I don’t know if my powers will work on him, but if I can get him to sleep, even for a moment, he’ll release his hold of Alex and you can bring him to the surface.”

Knowing that they won’t just let this go, Henry nods. He hugs all three of them before they spring into action, following Richards to the depths of the sea to try and rid the world of him once and for all. It’s not like killing Richards will bring Alex back by any means, but at least Henry will know that Alex’s death has been avenged––that Alex didn’t die in vain.

When they reach Richards, Queen Mary is by his side with the scepter in hand. Alex’s limp, lifeless body is still in Richards’ grasp and the sight of it makes Henry’s blood boil. How _dare_ Richards touch him? How _dare_ Richards keep him here when he’s clearly dead already?

What they really need to go is get their hands on the scepter. If they have the scepter’s power at their disposal, they’ll be practically invincible. With the scepter, they’ll be able to rid the world of Richards once and for all and take the Queen into custody. But the Queen hands the scepter to Richards as they approach like this is some sort of deal they’ve struck beforehand. Henry turns to his mom, begging her to try to put Richards to sleep with one of her lullabies.

“Joka ilta kun lamppu sammuu ja saapuu oikea yö / Niin Nukku-Matti nousee ja ovehen hiljaa lyö / On sillä uniset tossut ja niillä se sipsuttaa / Se hiipii ovesta sisään ja hyppää kaapin taa,” his mom sings, directing her power at Richards.

It’s a lullaby that Henry has never heard in a language he didn’t know his mom was capable of speaking. It must be some sort of vile song because it works on Richards, even if it’s only for a moment. His grip loosens on Alex as he stills, letting the words lull him into a temporary slumber. Henry takes the moment of weakness to rocket down and catch Alex in his arms before he has the chance to sink any further. With Alex’s body in his arms, he looks to his mom who gestures to the surface, telling him to go and that she, Bea, and Pez can handle this now. Henry goes, feeling sorry for leaving his family but knowing that getting Alex home is what he must do.

With a speed he’s never quite managed before, he gets Alex to the surface of the water and holds him close. For a moment, he just looks at him. Despite all that’s happened, Alex looks peaceful. His eyes are closed and his mouth is hanging slightly open like he’s about to say something witty and amusing but his brain hasn’t formed the words quite yet. Henry’s body shakes with another sob as he brushes the wet hair off of Alex’s forehead and lowers his head to Alex’s chest to see if there’s a heartbeat––just in case.

There’s not.

He’s dead.

Broken.

With quivering lips, Henry presses a gentle kiss to his forehead. “How do I love thee…” he croaks when he pulls away like somehow these words might still reach Alex and bring him back.

They don’t.

He starts to swim to shore with a storm picking up behind him, a sure sign that there’s a struggle going on beneath the waves. He moves slowly as to not further injure Alex––to keep him as safe as he can now that he’s in Henry’s arms. As he swims, he sees Alex’s chest start to glow with blue light. Surprised, Henry nearly drops him for a moment when he sees it––scared of what might be happening to him. He watches as the blue light grows into a ball and then out of Alex’s chest, rising into the air. It’s _water_. It’s a ball of swirling, illuminated water. What does this mean?

The ball drops into the ocean the light disappears. He’s about to just continue swimming Alex to shore, ruling the mysterious thing off as some random repercussion of the battle below, when he hears a wheeze. He looks down at Alex and sees, very clearly, his chest begin to rise and fall.

Henry’s heart pounds in his chest at the implications of this.

“Alex?” he asks.

There’s no response but his chest keeps rising and falling.

 _He’s breathing. He’s alive_.

Henry pulls him closer and kisses his curls again as tears fall down his face. They’re happy tears, though. So fucking happy.

“I’ll get you to safety, my love,” Henry promises him.

Henry deposits Alex on the shore near the palace after a long swim back. He’d like nothing more than to just lie beside him and get some much-needed sleep, but he knows that he’s lost his chance to live this life. So, unable to keep himself away, he resigns himself to keep a watchful eye on Alex from the rock he found the first time he dragged Alex ashore. Alex isn’t doing much of anything––just sleeping and breathing––but it makes Henry’s heart ache to watch him. Even though Henry will be forced to live in the sea for the rest of his days––forced to live without Alex by his side––he wouldn’t change a single thing he’d done. Not for anything. Because of his stupid deal with Richards, he was given the chance to know Alex in a way he never could have imagined. He was able to love him and be loved in return. And, even if they can’t spend the rest of their lives together, he’ll keep the memory of Alex safe in his heart where his dad lives. He’ll guard it with his life.

“He’s alive, then,” someone says from behind him.

He turns and sees his mom, scepter in hand, swimming towards him. He smiles weakly at her. “Yes, he is.

She smiles at him. “You really love him, don’t you?”

“Would it be ridiculous to say that I do?”

She shakes her head and pushes herself onto the rock, sitting next to him. He takes her hand in his, happy to see her. It’s been too long since he’s properly seen her.

“Some people are just drawn to each other,” she sighs.

He looks at Alex for a moment, knowing that she’s right. “I suppose that’s how it was for you and dad?”

Her eyes widen for a moment. “You found out?”

He nods. “I’m not angry with you,” he assures her. “I just don’t know why you never told me. My whole life, I’ve felt like I’ve been missing a part of myself. If I had known the truth––”

“We wanted to tell you,” she says, squeezing his hand, “but your gran forbade it. I think, had we known just how similar you were to your dad, we would have told you despite the rules. I guess…I thought it might protect you, somehow. If you never knew.”

“Dad knew, though, didn’t he? Where I was headed?”

“I think so. I think he was scared for you and what might happen to you in the future, but I think he always knew. He knew practically everything.”

Henry laughs a bit at that, so grateful to hear his mom talking about his dad again. It’s been ages since she’s mentioned him. “Gran said the humans killed him.”

“The humans didn’t kill him. He––he made some bad choices.”

Henry looks at her for a moment, wondering if he’s allowed to ask for details.

His mom decides for him. “We used to meet by the lake,” she begins. “He was so handsome and I was so curious about him. After a while, he decided that meeting by the lake wasn’t enough for him anymore. He traveled to the sea and called upon Richards to give him a tail. In return, he kept doing favors for Richards. Most of them were odd things like collecting certain ingredients for his potions. I never minded that he went because it meant that he got to stay with me longer.”

Henry smiles softly at the image of his parents, younger, and completely in love.

“But a few years after you were born, the quests got…stranger. More dangerous. The last thing he requested––the one your dad refused to help with––was to bring him the scepter. Your dad refused because he knew what Richards could do with it, and Richards showed him no mercy.”

Henry shudders at the thought then looks at the scepter in his mom’s hand. “You’ve got it now, though.”

She laughs weakly and twirls it in her hand. “Richards is gone for good now,” she explains. “And we’ve put your gran in custody. I’ll keep putting her to sleep––just to make sure she doesn’t escape.”

Henry hums. “And what of Philip?”

She sighs. “He claims he had no idea what was going on––that he had no part in any sort of nefarious scheme against you or the land. I’m still thinking of what to do with him, but he’s in a cell until his trial. He’s my son and I love him, but I can’t forgive him for what he’s put you through over the years.”

Henry nods and looks at the shore––at Alex’s sleeping form. “I’m glad it’s all worked out.”

“Has it?”

He turns and furrows his brows at her. “Of course it has. Richards is gone, Gran and Philip are secured. Everything’s going to be better now.”

She sighs. “It sounds an awful lot like everything’s better for everyone but you.”

“I mean, that’s the way it has to be, right? We’re from two different worlds. And, with Richards gone, there’s no way for me to get legs again.”

His mom shrugs. “I suppose.”

He glares at her. “Why are you saying it like that?”

“Well, I _have_ got the scepter,” she says, holding up the object. “I think I could certainly find a good use for it, if you’d like.”

She looks down and Henry follows her gaze––she’s looking at his tail.

His heart leaps into his throat. “You’d do that for me?”

She laughs softly and kisses his forehead. “I’d do anything for you, Henry. And if this is what you want, I’ll do it. I’ve never seen anyone look at someone the way he looks at you, and I’ve never seen you as happy as you are when you’re with him.”

Henry lets out a watery sob and hugs his mom, feeling so overwhelmed with love and gratitude that he feels like he might just burst. “Mum, I–– _thank you_.”

She pulls away and beams at him, holding the scepter up with one hand. “If I do this, you’ll have to come to the beach and visit us once a week,” she says.

Henry laughs and rubs at his wet eyes. “Yes, yes, of course.”

She nods and points the scepter at him.

His whole body glows as the magic takes hold, filling him with warmth and light. He looks over at Alex and grins, elated that he’ll be able to be there when he wakes up. As soon as the spell is complete, giving him legs and, thankfully, a pair of pants over them, he hugs his mom one last time for good measure. “ _Thank you_ ,” he whispers. “Truly.”

She kisses his forehead again and pushes him off. “Go get him.”

With one last look at the open sea, Henry does just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not over yet, don't worry!
> 
> Also: the lullaby is in Finnish and is called "Sininen uni." The translation for those lyrics are:
> 
> Every evening, when the lamplight fade out, and the right time of the night arrives  
> The Sandman gets up and quietly knocks on the door  
> He wears bedtime slippers and with them he tiptoes in  
> Sneaking inside the room and jumping behind the cabinet
> 
> So...uh, I hate Richards a lot if you couldn't tell.


	18. This Feels Familiar...

It feels like he’s been hit by a carriage. There’s an absurd amount of light trying to get through his eyelids and his head is pounding in his skull and his body aches all over and his chest feels heavy and strange. Somewhere in the distance, he can hear the sound of the waves breaking against the shoreline and the gulls crooning above him. And then there’s someone stroking his hair. It feels nice––amazing, in fact. It’s soothing when the rest of the world is making his head want to spin off his neck.

“How do I love thee,” someone says. “Let me count the ways.”

It’s a familiar voice––it’s _the_ voice. _Henry’s_ voice.

This all seems a bit too familiar, though. Has he dreamt up everything since the first time he found himself on the beach with those words above him? God, maybe he’s gone insane. His stomach lurches at the thought that Henry has just been a figment of his imagination or something for the past three days. Maybe he’s just hearing things.

He opens his eyes. It takes a moment for him to adjust to the harsh lighting––he realizes that he’s definitely suffered some sort of physical trauma––but when he does, he sees familiar blue eyes and sandy hair smiling down on him. He rushes to sit up but his body is aching.

“Shh,” Henry coos, helping him sit up. “Don’t injure yourself.”

Alex stares at him, unsure if he’s real. How is he here? What happened to the squid-man? The last thing Alex remembers is––his hands fly to his throat at the memory of water filling him up. He was dead, wasn’t he? He’s pretty sure he died.

“What happened?” he croaks, his throat feeling scratchy and strange.

Henry smiles and rubs his back. “You saved my life,” Henry tells him.

“I remember _that_ ,” Alex huffs. “I mean––I was dead, though, wasn’t I? I’m pretty sure I died. I could feel the––” he stops as soon as he sees that Henry’s crying. “Hey, why are you crying?”

Henry sniffs and buries his head in the crook of Alex’s neck, wrapping his legs around Alex’s waist. Alex can feel that they’re legs––there’s two of them. How is Henry human again? What did he have to give up this time?

He’s about to ask but Henry starts talking. “I had to watch you die,” he says into Alex’s neck. His hands fiddle with the curls at the nape. “I thought you were gone for good. I––It broke me to see you go limp in his grasp. I thought I was going to die from the sheer magnitude of my heartbreak.”

Alex shakes his head and pulls Henry even closer so there’s no space between them. He sets his head on top of Henry’s and rubs circles onto his back. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and I’m okay. You saved me, didn’t you? You’re so fucking brave. You’re the bravest man I know.”

“I don’t even know how I saved you,” Henry admits, pulling away and bringing their foreheads together.

Alex’s hands find Henry’s hips. “With your magic,” he guesses. “Your healing magic.”

Henry doesn’t reply, obviously still too spooked about whatever happened to talk about it much.

“And you’ve got legs again,” Alex points out.

Henry chuckles and it tickles his throat. “Yes, I have.”

“How’d you do that? You didn’t trade something again, did you?”

“No. My mum did it with the scepter. It’s…it’s a long story that I don’t even know the whole of. The point is that everyone’s safe and I’m here to stay. If you’ll have me, of course. I understand if you want me to go away after what I’ve put you––”

He doesn’t get to finish, though, because Alex lifts his head and puts his lips on Henry’s to shut him up.

Henry’s lips are so _soft_ and _perfect_ against his own. Their lips slot together like they were made for each other––like they’re two pieces becoming whole again. Alex smiles into it and moves one hand up and to Henry’s neck to bring him closer so he can deepen the kiss. Henry moans and opens his mouth willingly. Even though Henry tastes like the ocean and the kiss is a bit clumsy and desperate, Alex knows that it’s the most perfect moment he’s ever had and he wouldn’t trade it for the world. They stay like that for a minute or two, completely wrapped up in each other. That tugging feeling goes away with the kiss, reaffirming that Henry is what he’s spent his whole life looking for. They’ve been dancing around each other for so long now––through annoyance and forced hangouts to falling in love and fighting together––so this kiss feels like coming _home_. That’s what Henry is, isn’t he? Alex’s home.

When they pull away, Alex can’t laugh at how absurd all of this has been. Henry laughs, too, and they cling to each other and giggle like silly teenagers about the past twenty-four hours.

“You’re too good to be true,” Alex tells him once the laughter has died down.

Henry scoffs. “Says the man who literally sacrificed himself to save me.”

Alex smiles and kisses him softly. “I’d do it again. In a fucking heartbeat.”

“Don’t even say that,” Henry begs. “I couldn’t stand to lose you again––not even for a moment.”

“Me either,” Alex agrees. “Good thing I’m never letting you go then, huh?”

Henry grins and kisses him––just because he _can_.

“Alex!” someone calls.

They both turn to see who’s coming. It’s a whole mess of people, actually: June, Nora, Ellen, Zahra, Cash, and Leo. They’re all sprinting down the slope to the beach in tattered, dirty clothes with big smiles on their faces. As soon as they get close, Alex is swept into a series of hugs from each of them while they tell him how happy they are that he’s okay. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Henry standing off to the side looking nervous like he’s intruding. Alex rolls his eyes and grabs his wrist, dragging him into the giant group hug. Henry’s a part of his family now whether he likes it or not. Henry laughs as he’s swept up into the hug, looking happier than Alex has ever seen him.

“I was so worried about you,” Ellen tells him.

Alex bites his lip. “I lost your dagger.”

She rolls her eyes but she’s crying and happy so Alex knows that she’s not actually mad. “You’re an idiot, Diaz.”

He laughs and hugs her again because he’s just so happy to be alive and to have Henry’s by his side for good.

“I can’t believe you actually saved him,” June says to him.

“Of course I saved him,” he huffs, throwing his arms around Henry protectively.

“Well, I _did_ save you, first,” Henry argues.

Alex glares at him. “Right, but then I welcomed you into the palace with open arms.”

Zahra snorts.

“Then I saved your life when you started drowning at the lake,” Alex says.

“What?” Ellen gasps, obviously unaware of what happened.

Henry rolls his eyes. “Yes, but then I had to save you from that spell Richards cast on you. And I saved you from drowning after you came down with a _dagger_ to defeat an evil sea monster.”

Alex sputters for a moment before smirking and replying. “Oh, yeah? But I literally _died_ for you. Ha! Beat that!”

Henry purses his lips in a thin line and glances nervously towards Alex’s family.

Ellen is fuming. “You did _what_?”

Alex looks to Henry, terrified of what his mom might do in her rage and confusion. “Should we…”

Henry nods. “Yes, I think that’d be best.”

They look at each other for a moment, smiles on both of their faces, and take off running back towards the palace, hand in hand. They’re laughing hysterically and they know that Ellen will give them both a stern talking-to later, but they don’t really _care_ because they’re finally together and free and happy.

They run up to Alex’s room––where Alex is going to insist Henry stay as long as he’s here––and throw the door open. As soon as they get inside, Alex shoves Henry against the door and connects their mouths again, still smiling.

He slots his a leg between Henry’s, seeking out friction. He moans at the contact, but Henry stops kissing him almost immediately.

Alex pulls back. “Too soon?”

Henry shakes his head and looks down. “I, erm, there’s a bit of an issue, I’m afraid.”

Alex cups Henry’s jaw in his hands, forcing Henry to look at him. “Sweetheart,” he says, searching his eyes for the answer, “you can tell me. I won’t judge you, I promise.”

Henry nods nervously. “Right. I, well…there’s _something_ there,” he says. “It must be from the magic or something. It’s––well, could I just show you?”

Alex nods and steps back and watches as Henry undoes his pants and lowers them and his underwear to the ground. Alex stares at Henry’s half-hard cock for a moment. It’s beautiful and big and thick. There’s nothing wrong with it. Honestly, he was kind of expecting it to have scales or fins or something based on Henry’s nervousness.

“What’re you talking about?” Alex asks.

Henry gestures to his dick. “It’s––I’m sorry. I guess even my mum’s magic can’t make the transformation perfect.”

Alex realizes that Henry’s talking about his actual penis as being an issue. He tries his hardest not to laugh but he can’t hold it in. He nearly doubles over from it.

“I thought you swore that you wouldn’t judge me!” Henry chastises.

Alex shakes his head and tries to get himself to stop laughing. “Henry, _sweetheart_ , there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s a dick. It’s _normal_.”

Henry sighs in relief. “Oh, I see. What’s it do? I couldn’t figure out the purpose.”

Alex smirks and kisses him quickly. “I’ll show you,” he promises.

Henry opens his mouth to say something but Alex gets to his knees and takes it into his mouth.

Henry moans and deflates a bit against the door. “ _Oh_ ,” he says. “I think I quite like it.”

Alex smiles around him, deciding he’s going to take his time they have all the time in the world which, he realizes, they _do_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYO! That's the end! I really just ended it with a blowjob, oops. 
> 
> Anyway, it's not actually the end. I mean, it _is_ the end, but also not. 
> 
> I'm going to make this part of a series! WOO! There will be (hopefully) regular mini fics and one-shots about their lives and the hijinx they get into after this lil ending. 
> 
> Parting is such sweet sorrow...
> 
> So let's never part!


End file.
